NHER 4720 (Building record) - St Michael's Church, Great Cressingham

June 1960. Listed, Grade II.
Listing Description:
Parish church. Medieval and later. Flint with ashlar and some brick dressings. Lead, slate and pantile roofs. West tower; aisled nave with south porch; chancel. Mid 15th century west tower designed by James Woderofe. Diagonal buttresses and a stair turret to north east. West doorway with dying mouldings, traceried spandrels and a traceried frieze above with letter 'M' alternating with blank shields. Tall 3-light panel-traceried window above. Clock face to second floor with cusped ogee headed single light windows to north and south. 2-light bell-openings with cusped soufflets. Crenellated and blind-traceried parapet with corner finials. 15th century south porch also by James Woderofe. Ashlar faced to south and west. Moulded entrance arch on shafted responds with niche above. Mutilated carving of St. Michael in niche. Flushwork plinth frieze of letter 'M'. Moulded south doorway with a late Medieval 2-leaf door. South aisle with 5 3-light panel-traceried windows. Similar north aisle with a blocked doorway of 2 hollow-chamfered orders. 8 fine 2-light clearstorey windows in Decorated style with multi-cusped soufflets. Chancel has 8 2-light windows with simple cusped tracery suggesting a late 13th century date. Priest's doorway and blocked leper's window to south. Exceptional 5-light Perpendicular east window with staggered carved transoms, mouchettes and daggers. 13th century clasping buttresses surmounted by grouped shafts, resembling late 12th century and early 13th century pier forms, themselves topped with pinnacles.
Interior. 4-bay arcades of 1885 in Perpendicular style. Western responds, some polygonal bases and the south eastern respond survived the restoration. The south west respond and bell capital are 13th century with grouped shafts and a 14th century or 15th century heightening re-using the original deeply carved capital. Massive tower arch with mouldings dying into plain jambs. Hollow chamfered chancel arch on triple shaft responds: the north respond and arch have been renewed. Restored 15th century north aisle roof with roll-moulded principals. Hammberbeam nave roof with hammers to alternate principal trusses. Carved hammers and wooden wall post corbels representing angels, prophets and prelates. Wall plates with brattishing. Chancel with 4 bays of 13th century wall arcading consisting of single practically freestanding shafts on water holding bases supporting deeply moulded bell capitals and very pointed plain chamfered arches. There is some evidence to suggest that these arcades were at least intended to open into aisles. Surviving rood stair to north which served also as a squint from north aisle. Fine 14th century multi-cusped piscina. Jacobean panelling in south aisle and some late-Medieval poppy-head bench ends. Medieval brasses.
Information from (S1).

Apparently of 14th century date with 15th century refurbishing and roof, but also suggested as all being 15th century.
Stone coffin formerly in church.
See notes in file.
E. Rose (NLA 3 July 1990.