NHER 6520 (Building record) - St Andrew's Church, Holt

1850. In chancel south wall between Hobart's monument and window to east (now in vestry) an arch uncovered, with painted statues of man and wife praying; covered up again.

October 1960. Listed Grade II*.
Listing Description:
14th century and later, much restored by William Butterfield in 1864. West tower, Nave, south porch, north and south aisles and chancel. Flint and limestone with lead covered roofs to Nave and aisles. Steeply pitched plain-tiled roof to chancel. Flintwork partly plastered over on south side. Perpendicular windows in aisles, clerestory and east wall of chancel. Square West tower with diagonal buttresses. Flint flushwork panels in lower stage of tower. West doorway surmounted by two-light window with geometric tracery. Four sound-openings with cusped Y-tracery. Staircase turret on north side of tower. Sanctus bell turret at east end of Nave. Modern boiler house to south of south porch.
Interior: 14th-century arcades with octagonal piers. 14th-century piscina in south aisle with painted cross. 13th-century circular font with fleur-de-lis decoration. Early 14th-century sedilia and piscina in chancel, south side. Some 19th-century glass by Bryans. Royal Arms.
Information from (S9).
P. Watkins (HES), 24 May 2019.

(S1) noted an east vestry behind the altar. Church burnt 1708, previously had square tower, lofty spire, nave, two aisles, chancel was used as church after fire. (S2).
E. Rose (NAU).

Society of Antiquaries collection has a Gresham Hatchment from Holt; from the Church.
Information from J. Wymer (NAU) 1988.

The church must have been rebuilt within the original walls after the fire, as the north aisle has massive conglomerate quoins at each end.
(Seen only in passing; no detailed examination yet).
E. Rose (NAU) 10 December 1992.

(S3) (ungraded sites) suggests that lime trees in yard may have been planted by William Withers Junior (1772 to 1848), famous tree expert who lived at adjacent Church House now demolished but where two walnut trees remain.
E. Rose (NAU) 27 February 1998.

Press cuttings (S4) and (S5) in file.

North gallery and organ installed by William Mindham or Mendham in 1830 (S6). Architects plans (S7) and statement (S8) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 21 December 2004.

November 2005.
Relaying of brick roadway approaching church from west between the tree avenue did not penetrate deep enough to reveal any pre-20th century material.
E. Rose (NLA), 17 November 2005.

(S10) states that the gallery was built in 1828 and removed 1863. The tower has a clock made by Isaac Nickals in 1733 driving dials inside and outside the church. The inside dial was later replaced by one made by the local inventor Johnson Jex. See ref for full details.
E. Rose (NLA), 19 December 2007.

May-July 2012. Watching Brief.
A series of foundation and service trenches were excavated on the south side of St. Andrew’s Church, extending from the south aisle to the extant church wall and beyond the wall to the garden area. The works exposed the foundation trenches for the south porch and south aisle, which were wider and deeper than the foundations themselves. The fill of the foundation trenches contained a few fragments of medieval floor tile and no later finds, but the walls are believed to have been constructed during the 18th or 19th century rebuilding of the church.
See NHER 55058 for details of finds in the graveyard and garden areas.
See report (S11) for further information. The results of this work are also summarised in (S12).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2012.221).
H. Hamilton (HES), 30 July 2013. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.