NHER 4259 (Building record) - St James the Great's Church, Great Ellingham

14th century Decorated style.West tower with battlements and leaning lead spire. Chequerwork exterior. Nave with aisles and continuous chancel. North porch with a blank arch in its west wall with a piscina, and remains of arch in its east wall. Door shafted inside. Chancel has three light windows to south, two light windows to north. East window mullions out of alignment.Clerestory; west windows in north and south sides cut in half by tower. South aisle has vaulted niche with original painting; also other paintings on south wall including consecration crosses. Remains of sedilia in chancel; south aisle chapel has crocketed piscina and another with a bowl in the form of a flower, and a possible sedilia recess. Nave roof (the only old section) tie beams on arched brace with tracery, on head corbels. Mid 14th century octagonal font with original lead lining. Base of painted screen across nave, south chapel and part of north, also between south chapel and chancel. Marks of rood screen on columns, but rood stair in north wall is further forward. 18th century west gallery. Brass of about 1500. Possibility of foundations of older church at east end.

1981. Medieval sherds from churchyard. NCM.
See details in file.
E.Rose (NAU), 20 July 1990.

16 August 2011. Watching Brief.
Groundworks along the south wall of the church for maintenance of the drainage system exposed the flint cobble foundation of the church wall but no other archaeological features or finds were encountered.
See report (S1) for further information.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2025.119).
H. Hamilton (HES), 31 October 2012.

October 2012. Observation during wall painting conservation.
A blocked niche or cupboard has been revealed. It is about 500mm wide by 700 mm tall. Bottom edge at about 600mm from floor and west jamb at about 2350mm from east jamb of south doorway.
See (S2).
S. Heywood (HES), 26 October 2012