NHER 10971 (Building record) - St Mary's Church, Tivetshall St Mary

In ruins, mainly around 1300, partly earlier (undated); 15th century windows.
Full survey 1980 by A. Rogerson (NAU).

1947. Tower collapse.
The church tower collapsed in 1947 and a photographic record was made by Hallam Ashley soon afterwards.
Information from unpublished report (S5).
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

December 1977. Field Observation.
The church consists of a nave and chancel in one and a tower, now collapsed, all constructed around 1300. The chancel is in the best condition, with the skeleton of a roof still in place but the north nave wall has collapsed where the rood screen was, revealing a cubbyhole at the top. The east window has very fine cusped-intersected tracery. The north wall has three Y-tracery windows with headstops. The south windows consist of: 1 intersected, three Y-tracery, 1 Perpendicular. A simple north door has been blocked inrecent years, there is a south doorway with a barhole, and a south priests' door. The south porch has been ruined. It has modern brickwork over the entrance and medieval brick over the side windows. Putlog holes are present. There are two good floor tombs in the chancel, dated 1660 and 1661, but he latter has been broken in half and uprooted.
See HER Notes (S1) and report by E. Rose (S8) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

1977. Site maintenance.
The ruins were cleared in advance of an application for demolition (which was later refused).
The work revealed the lower door of the rood stair. Close examination of the walls revealed that they were rebuilt around perpendicular windows.
A body sherd of sandy grey ware, likely from a medieval cooking pot, was found within the body of the tower north wall.
Fragments of the bowl of an octagonal plain font were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed tower at the west end of the nave. These were retained by the church warden.
A fragment of the rim of a mortar in shelly limestone was built into the outer face of the south wall of the nave.
See HER Notes (S1) for early observations and unpublished report (S2) for full details.
See also newspaper (S2) article regarding proposed demolition.
H. Hamilton (HES), 16 January 2020.

1978. Graveyard Survey.
A survey of the graveyard was undertaken by Jez Reeve.
See unpublished document (S4) and unpublished report (S8).
H. Hamilton (HES), 16 January 2020.

1978-early 1980's. Consolidation.
The 1977 proposal to demolish the ruins was challenged and the remains were consolidated.
See newspaper article (S5) and unpublished report (S8) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

January 1979. Floor tomb disturbed.
One of the floor tombs in the chancel was disturbed by vandals. Initial reports indicated that human bones and a chalice were found. However, there is some doubt as to whether the chalice originated from the tomb.
The chalice (NWHCM: 1979.123) has been dated to the 13th to 14th century and has a hemisheprical bowl and collared stem, but is missing the base. Fragments of textile are adhering to the flat-bottomed bowl.
See HER Notes (S1) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

January 1979. Stray find.
A lead papal bulla was recovered from the ground surface within the church remains.
See HER Notes (S1) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

Mid-1980's-1991. Survey.
The site was surveyed as part of a wider study on ruined and disused churches.
See published monograph (S6) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

April 1988. Stray find.
Worked stone was reported to have been knocked off of the south porch of the church, presumably during the hurricane of October 1987. Identified as a massdial and a graveslab with an equal armed cross. Photographs at Norwich Castle Museum.
See HER Notes (S1) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

1992. Status Survey.
A detailed survey of the status of the ruins was undertaken by architect Colin Jeffries.
See unpublished report (S7) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

Mid-1990's. Consolidation.
Fuurther consolidation was undertaken following the 1992 survey.
See unpublished report (S8) for tfurther details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 20 January 2020.

April 1996. Survey.
Following consolidation by NCC (Norfolk County Council) in mid 1990s, new examination carried out by E. Rose (NLA).
Reused Norman or Early English stonework noted.
See unpublished report (S8) for further details.
E. Rose (NLA), 26 April 1996.