NHER 7123 (Building record) - SS Peter and Paul's Church, Fakenham

March 1959. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description excerpt:
"North doorway is all that remains of the Early English church. 14th-century chancel with Decorated north and south windows and large Decorated east window of five lights. 14th-century nave and north and south aisles with six-bay arcades with octagonal piers and double-hollow-chamfered arches, tall tower and chancel arches. Large four-stage Perpendicular west tower circa 1400-1450, with flushwork at base, and west doorway with flanking niches and panelled frieze above. Above, a large six-light west window. Tower has panelled buttresses, embattled parapet, pinnacles and Perpendicular traceried belfry. Late 15th-century south porch. 14th-century Sedilia and Piscina with crocketed ogee arch. 15th-century octagonal font with carved panels. 14th-century Decorated screen much restored in 19th century. 15th- and 16th-century brasses in chancel. Pedestal poor-box dated 1665. Built of flint with freestone dressings and slate roofs."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 December 2023.

Reused stonework indicates a Romanesque building. North door Early English. Chancel, nave and aisles of two periods of Decorated work. Tower (very grand) Perpendicular (with remarkable concrete roof of 1963) as is clerestory, porch and font.
Restoration 1864. Good 14th century screen. Several good memorials.
See (S1) and (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 29 March 2003.

February 2005. Works on floor observed.
Under a pew platform to north the ground was replaced by concrete in the 20thcentury. A grave slab to John Pigge, surgeon 1755 and his relict Bridget, was uncovered, sunk down within the brick surround. To the south the floor rested on walls of 19th century bricks.
See (S3).
E. Rose (NLA), 22 February 2005.

June 2005. Watching Brief. Contexts 1-3.
Monitoring of drainage work. A partial profile of the flint and mortar foundation of the tower was revealed. A garden or churchyard soil deposit to the south of the tower contained one possible in situ east to west aligned burial and a small amount of disarticulated human bone.
See report (S4) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S5).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2025.135).
J. Allen (NLA), 6 June 2005. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 24 August 2025.

May 2009.
The rereros dating from 1864 has been cleaned and revarnished, and much of the gilding has been replaced. Cracked stone has been remodelled and the iron ties have been replaced.
See (S6).
H. White (NLA), 19 May 2009.

June-August 2016 and March 2018. Watching Briefs.
Monitoring of groundworks immediately to the south demonstrated that the late post-medieval buildings had encroached on the southern margins of the churchyard, with several burials recorded. These included two disturbed inhumations uncovered at the northern end of the passageway adjacent to 30 Market Place (NHER 40835), along with a north-north-west to south-south-east aligned flint and mortar wall that potentially represented an earlier boundary of the cemetery. Interestingly one of the burials exposed at this location had a similar alignment, suggesting it had been interred against the wall.
See NHER 67882 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 December 2023.