NHER 9019 (Building record) - St Ethelbert's Church, East Wretham

(S1) notes: square tower: chancel arch collapsed and roof height altered; remains of arch, doors and small windows 'show it as old fabric'. Stone coffin with two holes and channels. Part of another.
E. Rose (NAU).

July 1958. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description:
Parish church, 12th century, rebuilt 1865. Flint with ashlar quoins. Tiled roofs. West tower and 3 stages and saddleback roof. 2-light belfry windows. 2- light nave and chancel windows in Decorated style and 3-light chancel east window. South porch with re-used 12th century doorway of 3 orders (nailhead, roll, zig- zag) with fine waterleaf capitals. Interior with circular piers and waterleaf capitals of 1865. Moulded arcades. Triple engaged columns to chancel arch and tall moulded archway. Finely carved naturalistic foliage flanks 19th century sedilia. Piscina of similar date. Elaborate font and font cover executed in 14th century style. Good timber roofs to nave and north aisle.
Information from (S2).
E. Rose (NAU).

Postcard and plan and details of the bells, see file.

2005. Field Observation.
Vault, 2.7m x 11.6m (9ft x 38ft) and over 1.8m (6ft) high, found underneath north aisle containing four full sized coffins and one of an infant. Stated to be family vault of the Wryley-Birch family, the latest date 1874 and the earliest 'predating the aisle' and so moved from elsewhere, but details are not given. Photographs show a very large barrel vaulted chamber, the coffins set on a brick structure more like the winebins of a cellar. Sealed again before archaeological inspection.
See notes (S3) in file. This discovery is also noted in (S4).
E. Rose (NLA) 18 July 2005.