NHER 10266 (Building record) - St Michael's Church, Braydeston

Norman, 13th-15th centuries.

September 1962. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"Parish Chuch of Bradeston, medieval and later. Built of flint with stone dressings and part rendered with slate roof. West tower, north porch, nave, south vestry and chancel. 3 stage tower, built 1440-1480, with squared flint base course, 3 light Perpendicular west window, semi-circular south stair turret, single light sound holes and 2 light belfry openings with tracery remaining to west. Gargoyle below parapet to west."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 07 August 2023.

26 September 1979.
Remains of small Norman window or early lancet in north wall, invisible from outside (S5). Early English (13th century) lancet in north chancel wall. Early English north nave door; south doorway in late medieval brick, blocked in 19th century brick. West tower, unbuttressed, 14th century belfry windows and soundholes, Perpendicular (15th century) west window, unusual half round stair turret. Reticulated Decorated (14th century) east window. Nave windows Perpendicular, and also chancel south, but latter is 19th century in present form. Perpendicular north porch with later brick gable bearing now illegible plaque. Remains of rood turret with lower door, cut by Victorian vestry.
Interior inaccessible at time of visit.
13th century piscina in chancel, and stone shelf on arched bracket; traces of demolished 13th century south arcade; 14th century font; carved medieval screen; elaborate hourglass stand; monument 1847; chalice, Norwich 1567; paten 1633. (S5).
The church was mentioned as 'disused but not decayed' in 1602.
1368. Inventory of church goods.
1440. Will of John Berney of Reedham - 40/- left for making Braydeston steeple.
OS Records.
R. J. Rickett, 25 June 1990.

Summer 1996. Churchyard, south side. In molehills and on bare soil patches.
One tiny ?hand-made grog tempered almost black body sherd with oxidised pale brown exterior, uncertain date.
One body sherd probably Early medieval "sandwich" ware
One body sherd pale grey with thick glaze. Copper exterior and lead interior. Late medieval/Transitionalish.
A.Rogerson (NLA) 19 November 1996.

13 January 2000. Visited briefly to investigate reported subsidence to north of chancel.
This was immediately north of a chest tomb dated 1890 within iron railing. A stone slab had given way above a flight of steps between walls of 19th century brick leading to a blocked doorway, clearly the entrance to the above tomb.
It was noted on this visit that the benches of the north porch have shoe outlines carved in them, probably from use as a school, and there is a wooden turnstile in the west churchyard fence.
E. Rose (NLA) 14 January 2000.

(S7) in file.

Church with Norman fabric; later extended westwards. Chancel rebuilt in 13th century with south chapel overlapping nave. Altered in the 14th century. Tower rebuilt in the 15th century, Nave heightened and refenestrated after chapel demolished. 19th century restoration, partly by Blore. 14th century font. Some good monuments.
Finds from churchyard of medieval pottery and post medieval roof tile.
(S9) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 13 January 2004.

Church of St Michael's, situated on Braydeston Hills, has a small enclosed churchyard surrounded by fields. The church is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book, although the church is believed to be much altered.
See (S10) for further details.
L. Allison (NLA), 4 August 2010.

June 2011.
An appeal has been launched to raise funds to restore the tower.
See (S11) for further information.
A. Cattermole (HES), 27 June 2011.

October 2012.
For possible reburial of skulls from another site, see NHER 10232.
D. Gurney (HES), 31 October 2012.