NHER 2386 (Building record) - St Edmund's Church, Emneth

August 1951. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"Parish church, c.1210 chancel, C15 nave, aisles and west tower, restored 1866. Ashlar with some brick, rendered to aisles. Slate nave and chancel roofs, leaded aisles. 4 stage tower with angle buttresses. 4-centred west door within square surround. 4-light panel tracery west window and 3-light windows to north and south. 3-light louvred belfry windows with cusping below transoms. Brick crenellated parapet. Stairs in south-east angle. 2 storey south porch with polygonal stair turret to west..."
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 19 April 2023.

July 1987. Field Observation.
St Edmund's Church.
Large and important church. Chancel 12th century transitional with remains of clerestory and evidence of side chapels. Extended to east in mid 13th century with grand east window. North chapel rebuilt late 13th century blocking clerestory. Part of nave south wall predates late 15th century to early 16th century rebuilding of south aisle, south chapel, nave, north aisle and tower. North aisle apprently the last part to be done. South porch same period. North chapel divided into vestry probably in mid 16th century. Chancel and south clerestory, 15th century removed in 1886. Very fine 15th to 16th century roof, good 16th century tombs one by stone, Bell frame. Good 13th century carved coffin lids. Churchyard contains a number of good headstones of which twenty are listed grade II. The church is grade I.
See unpubilshed report (S2) and photographs (S5) for full survey details.
Also noted on HER Record Card (S3).
E. Rose (NLA).

July 1987. Excavation and Watching Brief.
Observation carried out on the repairs to the flooring in the north chapel. Excavation revealed Pavement of 14th to 15th century tiles. In the loose rubble above the pavement loose fragments of 13th and 14th century tiles were discovered and some were of unusual form. The loose tiles have been donated to Norwich Castle Museum.
See unpublished report (S4) and photographs (S5) for further details.
The results of this work are summarised in (S6) and noted in Her Record Card (S3)
M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 24 June 2013.

October 1991. Excavation.
Following the discovery of tiled pavements in 1987, the remainder of the chapel floor was replaced in 1991 to the west of the previous observations and a second pavement was uncovered by E. Rose for NAU. It was situated around the central pier of the chancel arcade, the smaller Flemish tiles have been dated to the 1400 and the larger tile have occurred in the late 15th to mid-16th centuries loose fragments of other 14th to 15th century tiles were also recovered. This pavement has been suggested to have been a standing for an alter against a paraclose screen.
Further tiles found.
See HER notes (S7) for full description of excavation results, sketch plan (S8), and photographs (S9).
The results of this work are summarised in journal articles (S10) and (S11).
E. Rose (NLA), 1991. Amended by M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 24 June 2013.

February 1996. Field Observation.
See HER Notes (S7) for further details.

May to August 2000. Watching brief on groundworks for new toilets.
No undisturbed natural material was found indicating that the footing trenches had not reached the bottom of the disturbance caused by the building of the tower. The evidence shows that the north aisle was built after the tower.
See unpublished contractor report (S12) for further details.
Also summarized in journal article (S13).
D. Gurney (NLA), 21 December 2000.

2000.
14th century lead glazed floor tile found during watching brief.
See (S14) in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 7 February 2001.