NHER 8647 (Building record) - Ruins of Church of St Mary, Tower Road

September 1962. Listed, Grade II.
Listing Description:
Ruins of parish church. 12th century, altered 14th century, bequests to repair of tower 1459, nave and chancel re-roofed 1524 and 1526 respectively. West tower and fragments of north nave wall survive. Circular 2 stage tower with 14th century octagonal belfry stage constructed of flint and some brick. North and south ringing chamber windows partially blocked. Arched west window to lower stage. Brick jambs to belfry windows remain showing that only alternate facets had windows. Triple hollow chamfered brick tower arch looks into nave. Mutilated north nave door opening and, further east, remains of one high window.
Information from (S1).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 10 March 2009.

Ruined tower.
Formerly parish church of Burgh St Mary with a round and octagonal tower, 11th century with 15th century addition.
See (S2) for further details.
E. Rose (NAU)

1991. Survey.
Burgh St Mary was visited during a survey of ruined and disused churches of Norfolk.
The remains consist of a round tower with octagonal belfry stage, portions of the north wall of the nave and a very short section (less than 1m long) of the west wall. The belfry has four single lancet windows (facing north, south, east, and west), and there are single windows below the belfry stage on the north and south which are blocked with brickwork. The west side of the tower has a pointed window only 2m above the ground. On the east, there is a doorway above the pointed tower arch and the gable line of the nave roof is visible above this. Inside the tower, square holes for floor timbers were identified approximately 5m above the ground. The quoins of the north-west corner of the nave have been robbed, and a large hole in the north wall may represent a doorway. There are also remnants of a double-splayed window in the north wall, which may have originally have been rounded. To the east, the junction between the nave and the chancel remains visible despite robbing of the quoins. The chancel was only 0.3m narrower than the nave.
The window details suggest that the round tower and nave were constructed in the 11th or early 12th century while the documentary evidence indicates that the belfry stage of the tower was constructed in the 15th century (S3). Ten marks were given to a new roof in 1524 and 13s. 4d. was given for the emendation and reparation of the tower in 1549 (S3). Bryant (S4) indicates that St Mary's had an apse, which Batcock (S5) believes is possible.
1554 was the last year that two rectors were recorded for Burgh, after which only one rector was recorded for the two churches. This suggests that the village had contracted and St Mary's was likely abandoned around this time. A 1602 account of ruined and decayed churches notes for St Mary's: 'The church decaied, profaned and made a Barne, by one Mr. Baker, sometyme Alderman of Norwich, and fermor or Proprietaire of the same' (S6).
See (S5) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 18 March 2009.

There is an upper door on the east side of the tower.
The footings of an apse were formerly visible.
Rectors are listed from 1317 to 1554 when the parish was combined with St Margaret's.
See (S7) for further details.
E. Rose (NLA) 8 January 1996.

September 2005. Norfolk NMP.
The remains of St Mary’s Church, formerly the parish church of Burgh St Mary and now in the civil parish of Fleggburgh, are visible on aerial photographs (S8 and S9). The grid reference of this church has been corrected from TG 4548 1411 to TG 4549 1413. The standing remains of the west tower and part of the north wall of the nave are visible on aerial photographs. The church has an 11th century origin and was disused by 1600, see (S5).
J. Albone (NMP), 26 September 2005