NHER 565 (Building record) - St John the Baptist's Church, St John Maddermarket, Norwich

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Summary

This parish church dates to the 14th and 15th centuries. It is now redundant after a brief spell during which it operated as a Greek Orthodox church. It comprises a west tower, combined nave and chancel, north and south aisles and porches. The exterior is of flint with stone and brick dressings with an ashlar faced clerestory. In 1990 builders discovered five wooden coffins in a brick vault below the north porch. These contained three adults and two children who were interred during 1830-55. Of note is the fact that the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has screen panels bearing the arms of the mayor in 1451, which may mark the completion of the church.

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Location

Map sheet TG20NW
Civil Parish NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

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St John the Baptist's Church, St John Maddermarket.

1954. Listed Grade I.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"Parish Church. 14th century and 15th century. Flint with stone and brick dressings, ashlar faced clerestory. Slate roof and lead roof on aisles. West tower, nave and chancel in one. North and south aisles and porches. 19th-century vestry. Four-stage tower with diagonal buttresses."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 January 2018. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 8 November 2019.

1970s or 1980s. Building Survey.
Examined as part of Norwich Survey.
See draft reports (S2)-(S4) for further details (all apparently different versions of the same document).
P. Watkins (HES), 16 January 2018.

14 November 1990. Watching Brief.
Five wooden coffins in brick vault below north porch. Vault breached by building workers.
Three adult and two children interred 1830-55. Coffins remain in situ.
See notes (S5) for further details.
J. Bown (NAU) 4 December 1990.

References (S6) and (S7) note a bequest to the roof in 1452 which he believes dates the arcades; these he suggests are modelled on the Erpingham Gate and made by the Wiveton Mason. Victoria and Albert has screen panels bearing the arms of the mayor in 1451, which may mark the completion of the church.
E. Rose (NLA) 22 December 2000.

Chapels Society report a story (no source given) that the roof was remade in 1870 following an incident the previous year when a verger went looking for a gas leak with a lighted match, and found it.
E. Rose (NLA), 3 December 2007.

  • --- Article in Serial: Boileau, J. P. 1864. Returns of Church Goods in the Churches of the City of Norwich, 6 Edward VI. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol VI pp 360-378. pp 364-365.
  • --- Article in Serial: Ewing, W. C. 1849. Some Particulars accompanied with a Figure, of the Eastern Window of the Church of Saint John The Baptisit, in the Maddermarket at Norwich. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol II pp 198-200.
  • --- Article in Serial: Harrod, H. 1859. Goods and Ornaments of Norwich Churches in the Fourteenth Century. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol V pp 89-121. pp 112-113.
  • --- Illustration: [Unknown]. [unknown]. Plan of St John's Church, Maddermarket, Norwich.
  • --- Illustration: Stannard, J. [unknown]. Drawing of St John's Church, Maddermarket, Norwich. Pencil and wash on paper.
  • --- Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 240-241.
  • --- Photograph: [Unknown]. 1984. Photographs of the interior and exterior of St John's Church, Maddermarket, Norwich.
  • --- Publication: [Unknown]. [unknown]. Palimpsests Behind 'Norfolk' Brasses (N).
  • --- Publication: Cox, J. C. 1911. Country Churches: Norfolk. Vol II. pp 179-180.
  • --- Publication: Messent, C. J. W. 1932. The City Churches of Norwich. pp 41-42.
  • --- Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Norwich - Post Roman.
  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • --- Slide: Various. Slide.
  • --- Unpublished Document: [Unknown]. [unknown]. List of Monumental Brasses from St. John Maddermarket, Norwich, on loan to the Norfolk Museums Service.
  • <S1> Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry.
  • <S2> Unpublished Document: [Unknown]. [unknown]. St John, Maddermarket [draft report].
  • <S3> Unpublished Document: [Unknown]. [unknown]. St John Maddermarket. Architectural Interpretation [partial draft report].
  • <S4> Unpublished Document: [Unknown]. 1985. St John, Maddermarket [draft report].
  • <S5> Unpublished Document: Ashley, S. 1990. [Notes on watching brief at St John Maddermarket, Norwich].
  • <S6> Article in Monograph: Fawcett, R. 1996. The Influence of the Gothic Parts of the Cathedral on Church Building in Norfolk. Norwich Cathedral, Church, City and Diocese 1096-1996. Atherton, I. et al (eds.). pp 210-227. p 223.
  • <S7> Article in Serial: Fawcett, R.. 1982. St. Mary at Wiveton in Norfolk, and a Group of Churches Attributed to its Mason. The Antiquaries Journal. Vol LXII, pp 35-56. 6.
  • <S8> Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 240-241.
  • COFFIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Record last edited

Oct 13 2022 12:42PM

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