NHER 60527 (Monument) - Site of St John's Chapel, charnel house and post-medieval shambles

Formerly recorded under NHER 1026.

Site of St John's chapel and charnel house, adjoining north-west tower on north, where an arch protruded out until recently. After the Dissolution the chapel became a grammar school, later a shambles and reading room. Bryant notes that in 1903 25 skeletons were found facing east, with two further skeletons in stone coffins. These were all reburied. Other finds included a silver spoon and a ring. The chapel was built around 1500.
E. Rose (NAU).

The charnel chapel stood on the north-west corner of St Margaret's Priory church. (S1) notes that the only reference to the building of the charnel chapel is in the rolls of the Trinity Guild in 1325. (S1) also records that the charnel was built at the westward corner, clear of the church, and when the north aisle of the church was widened its north-west corner was brought up to the east corner of the chapel. There were two chapels, the upper for services and the undercroft for storage of human remains from the churchyard. (S2) notes that in the early 20th century the site of the charnel house was occupied by the Shambles. He also notes the similarities between this charnel house and the chapel at Norwich School (NHER 377). He mentions a writing school established in 1629 and held over the charnel in the Saturday Market Place. According to (S2) the charnel was taken down in 1779 and the Shambles built in 1793.
Information from (S3).
A. Cattermole (HES), 15 October 2014.

March 1981. Site visit during excavation carried out during works to the Saturday Market Place.
A wall faced with limestone was recorded at the northern end of the excavated area, ending in a round engaged column. Remains of plaster were noted on the south face of the wall. The whole of the west side of the trench was taken up by post-medieval brick arches. The southern edge of the trench was taken up with the north side of an east-west wall of limestone and brick.
For full details see report in file for NHER 1026.
E. Rose (NAU), 24 March 1981 and A. Cattermole (HES), 15 October 2014.

September 2014.
Remains of chapel exposed during roadworks within the Saturday Market Place.
Further information to follow.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.253).
A. Cattermole (HES), 15 October 2014. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 June 2019.