NHER 11093 (Monument record) - Site of St John's Chapel, Harleston

Site of St John the Baptist Chapel, Harleston. Also known as the Harleston Episcopal Chapel of Ease.

This is the site of a medieval parochial chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist. Very little is known of the original medieval structure as it was completely rebuilt in 1726 and enlarged in 1823, but Blomefield (S1) notes two early references indicating that it existed in the 15th century and mentions that it was located in Mendham-in-Norfolk, not Redenhall parish as might be expected. Further detailed discussion relating to the early evidence for the church can be found in Blomefield (S1) and Candler's 1896 publication (S2).

A collection of contemporary manuscripts (S3) includes a paper dated 1726 describing Harleston Chapel as ruinous and partly used as a market cross.

Bryant (S4) records that the chapel was rebuilt in 1726 and that the site of the market cross, which was located at the east end of the chapel, was incorporated into the structure during the 1823 enlargement. He describes the church as a small building consisting of a nave and small chancel, with eight windows (six of which were lancet-shaped) and an iron cross mounted on the gable between the nave and chancel. He also described a “fair west window containing stained glass” (S4, p 53), which was situated below a clock surmounted by a cupola containing a bell, but noted there was no tower and no burial ground.

A contemporary picture of the chapel is included in Tom Martin’s church notes (S5). E. Rose (NLA) has described this image as follows: "shows picture of chapel with west window under wooden tower with iron crown; south door Perp style; buttresses; small square windows. Only west end used as church; east end already market cross and door knocked in wall. Beyond this was a further, lower extension."

A 1990 study by Batcock (S6) states that “contemporary drawings show a nave that is Gothic in style, with three pointed windows interspersed with buttresses along each nave wall, and an elaborate pointed west doorway with window and cupola above, all of 1726. The chancel of 1823 appears to have been apsidal” (S6, f8:G10).

Proposals were in place to sell the building, then known as “the Harleston Episcopal Chapel of Ease” in 1870 (S7), but documentary studies (S6) indicate that the chapel continued to be regularly used until 1872. By this time a new church was being built on a new site about 100m to the north-east (NHER 11092) which would ultimately replace the chapel. The chapel was demolished in 1873 (S8), and a temporary tower to house a town clock was planned (S8). A report of 1876 (S9) indicates that the clock from the chapel was temporarily placed on the roof of one of the houses near the Market Place. By 1876 a new building (NHER 45817) was being constructed on the site of the chapel (S9) and construction of a new tower and new clock on this block of buildings was agreed (S9, S10).

E. Rose (NLA).
Updated H. Hamilton (HES), 30 May 2017.