NHER 64560 (Monument record) - Site of the medieval St. Martin's chapel and burial ground

Before 30 December 2020. Documentary Research.
Within the Records of the Dean and Chapter of Norwich Cathedral Estate, the 1486-1487 field book for Hindringham describes this location as St. Martin's chapel and burial ground. [1] notes that the field book states the cemetery of St Martin’s chapel lay in the south-east corner of a furlong or quarentina called Chapell Crofte. Abbutals from within the fieldbook show that the site was bordered to the west by the (north-south) King's Highway, and to the south by a path called Chapell stye. The chapel shares the same dedication as the nearby parish church. This is suggested by [1] to indicate it may have been established as an overspill funerary chapel. The 1536 will of Richard Maye of Hindringham includes 20d left to the chapel of St. Martin, suggesting it remained extant at this time.
See documentary sources (S1) and (S2) and unpublished document (S3).
Following the Dissolution, the 1573 document The Dragge or extent of the town of Hindringham (S4) states the land was held by Martin Hastings esq., farmer of the Dean & Chapter’s manor. A text extract from the Dragge translated by [1] describes the chapel as:
"capital. domus quondam vocat. Capell. Sci. Martini" or "a capital building formerly called St Martin's Chapel.". The abbutals of the site within (S4) match those in the earlier fieldbook, and describe the area as "Martin Hastings’ pightle & garden lately (nuper) St Martin’s chapel.”.
See unpublished documenht (S3) and documentary source (S4).
An enclosed area in this location is visible on three rough preparatory enclosure maps (S6), (S7), and (S8) and the Enclosure Award map of 1815 to 1817 (S9), (S10), and (S11). The site is named in a list of properties and owners as Chapel Pightle. By the time of the drafting of the Tithe map of c.1838 (S12), the enclosed area is no longer visible. It is not clear from the enclosure maps and Tithe Map whether the land was incorporated into the properties to the south or the field to the north.
See documentary source (S5), rough maps (S6), (S7), and (S8), Enclosure Maps (S9), (S10), and (S11), and Tithe Map (S12).
E. McDonald (HES), 26 January 2021.