NHER 9470 (Building record) - St Remigius' Church, Hethersett

November 1959. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description excerpt:
"Parish church, 14th century, restored 1874, flint with some erratics, stone dressings, lead and slate roofs. West tower, nave with two roof lines, chancel, north and south aisles, north and south transepts, north porch. Four-stage west tower with lead fleche and embattled parapet; five-stepped diagonal buttresses and plinth with flint chequered flushwork...Nave: restored 1874, three bays to west with slate roof, two bays to east with lower pitched roof of lead, gable between with added studwork and barge boards...North porch: two storeys, broken flint, lead roof and gable parapet; Perpendicular arch with side shafts having salamanders to capitals...Chancel and transepts rebuilt 1874 (the chancel having been in ruins since 16th century). Facings of field flints; transepts attached to aisles with straight buttresses; diagonal buttresses to east transepts and to chancel…
Interior: five bay arcade north and south with quatrefoil piers and double hollow chamfered arches; Perpendicular tower arch with semi-circular jambs, all painted with floral decoration and texts 1866; seating of 1857. Roof renewed 19th century. Chancel arch and arches to transepts with 19th-century quatrefoil jambs and double hollow chamfered arches. Chancel with angle piscina in 13th-century style with red marble colonette. 14th-century trefoil headed piscina to south aisle. Octagonal font with varied cusped figures to faces, bowl supported by central column and 8 small limestone colonettes...Rails to north and south aisle chapels of early spade-headed bench ends; 17th-century base to south aisle Table."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

November 1984. Building Survey.
Examined by E. Rose (NAU).
See file notes (S2) for detailed description and discussion.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

March 1989.
A 16th-century helmet "found beside the Norwich Road" in 1983 and place in the church was stolen in March 1989.
Information from file notes (S2). No other details recorded.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

January 1990.
Architect [1] reports that builders constructing a toilet at west end south aisle lifted a concrete floor to find it rested on natural gravel. Only finds, one cache of bones apparently bagged and reburied when concrete floor laid.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU), 25 January 1990. Information from file notes (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

However, [2], who found the bones, told E. Rose that they in fact consisted of three skeletons aligned N-S underneath the church wall, with the heads on the interior and the feet on the exterior. This most remarkable situation would indicate a pagan pre-church cemetery if accurate; however if [1] Nash is more accurate, it may be that a redeposition of bones
next to the wall gave the impression that they were protruding from under it. But [2] was confident of his version.
Compiled by E. Rose (NLA), 6 March 1992. Information from file notes (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

August 1993.
The east clerestory window in the gable of the higher section of the nave roof has ornate mock-Tudor timbering around it
on the exterior, in 1993 painted bright maroon. Other works in progress in 1993 include the removal (temporarily) of the north aisle west window glass.
Compiled by E. Rose (NLA), 19 August 1993. Information from file notes (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

December 1998.
North aisle roof, west end, four or five rafters have engraved decorative motifs including circles with parallel curved lines. At west they have obviously been reused. Very Odd.
Compiled by A Rogerson (NLA), 4 Dec 1998.
Could be late carpenters' marks?
Information from file notes (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

February 2007. Watching Brief.
Details to come.
J. Allen (NLA), 7 February 2007.

See NHER 65466 for details of archaeological discovieres within the churchyard of St Remigius' Church.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

August-October 2011. Watching Brief.
Maintained during excavation of drainage pipe runs and inspection pits around north, east and south sides of church.
A drainage trench leading from a downpipe adjacent to a buttress on the south side of the church encountered a large piece of worked stone. This buttress is a red brick replacement so it is possible this stone was part of the foundation of the original buttress.
See report (S3) and NHER 65466 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.