NHER 6475 (Building record) - SS Peter and Paul's Church, Cromer

A 15th century parish church, restored in 1887-1889 by Sir Arthur Bomfield.
Flint, stone dressings and slate roofs.
Tall nave, with 6 Perpendicular clerestory windows.
19th century chancel.
North and south aisles with large perpendicular windows.
Two storeyed north and south porches, the north porch is vaulted, and both have flushwork pannelled stair turrets.
The tallest church tower in Norfolk, at 48m (160 feet) with pinnacles and ornate battlements, tall bell openings on each side.
West porch of knapped flint, with niches either side of the entrance, battlements and a vaulted and elaborate west doorway.
See (S1).

In 1911.
'Foundations of an older church' were found under the present one in laying a pipe, although it is supposed to be the first on the site.
Perhaps the original chancel demolished in the 17th century?
The chancel foundations are visible through gratings in the nave.
E. Rose (NAU)

(S2) said 'church in an appalling state', chancel aisles, chapels and porches ruined.
Rood screens in nave and aisles moved backwards down church.
Roof carved with angels.
Plan given shows west porch to tower, aisles to chancel, chapel east of chancel, another east of north chancel aisle. Clerestory and aisle windows almost all blocked up.
E. Rose (NAU)

Bequests to chancel windows in 1388, 1391, 1402 and to the parapet in 1420.
Also the tower and rood loft in 1433, south porch in 1499 (built or altered?).
E. Rose (NAU)

Armstrong's Diary records that the restoration of the church began on the 1st September 1864.
E. Rose 5 September 1997.

War memorial erected in 1921 in the churchyard.
Moulded ashlar shaft containing small figures of servicemen and a gabled crucifix.
See (S3) for description and drawing and (S4) for controversies over design, both in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 10 January 2004.

(S5) notes that Thomas Tanner, chancellor of the diocese, in 1733 was concerned over the decay of the church and particularly that the ruined chancel was about to disappear.
He offered to send Blomefield a plate for his History of it.
E. Rose (NLA), 2 December 2004.

May 2003. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of seven small hand-excavated trenches for tree planting.
Human remains encountered in one trench. Presumed to be from churchyard.
The footings of a flint wall approximately 3.5m south of the present day churchyard boundary were recorded and this was interpreted as the original southern boundary wall for the churchyard.
See report (S6) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S10).
Previously recorded as NHER 39258.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2024.153).
J. Allen (NLA), 16 May 2003. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 26 August 2024.

This is one of the sixty five Norfolk churches selected for (S7).
D. Gurney (NLA), 17 February 2006.

November 2007. Watching Brief.
From context 1.
Details to come.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 12 November 2007.

August 2008.
The 14th century application was for permission to demolish the existing church and to build a larger one on the same site - see Rye, who also refers to the remains of the original church as evidence that it had a square tower (S8).
D. Gurney (NLA) 1 August 2008.

April 2009.
Repairs to windows in the clerestory
See (S9) for further details
H. White (NLA), 28 April 2009