Ingham, Norfolk - Holy Trinity
Ingham, written as “Hincham” in the Domesday Book of 1086, means “seated in a meadow”. Nothing of this period survives in the church today. Holy Trinity dates to the 13th. century, but there may have been a church on this spot since the late Saxon period. The oldest part of the present building is a stretch of walling at the south-west corner of the chancel. This is made of whole flints, as against the knapped flint of the rest of the building. The wall contains traces of what appears to be a blocked priest's doorway. Some of the stonework is in herringbone style, common in the late Saxon and early Norman period, but it seems doubtful that this is any earlier than 13th century.
Most of the church dates to the middle of the 14th century, just prior to the onset of the Black Death in 1348. On the north side of the chancel is the tomb of Sir Oliver de Ingham, who died in 1343. The tomb is in the position usually reserved for the founder, which might suggest that the church was erected around 1343, however the style of Sir Oliver's effigy points to an earlier time period, so it seems more likely that he had his own tomb and effigy prepared during his lifetime.
The nave was certainly rebuilt by Sir Oliver's daughter Joan and her husband Sir Miles Stapleton, after Sir Oliver's death. The Stapleton's founded a college of Trinitarian friars dedicated to the Holy Trinity and St. Victor to serve the church. There were two brothers, a sacrist, and a prior to serve Ingham and nearby Walcot churches, and the sacrist also acted as the vicar of Ingham. Though it was never very large, Ingham Priory was the mother house for all the other Trinitarian foundations in England.
There are traces of the monastic buildings on the north side of the church, but the best surviving parts of Ingham Priory now form the core of the nearby Swan Inn.
The college had risen to support six canons, a sacrist, and a prior by the 16th century. Perhaps the college finances could not support so many, for when Thomas Cromwell's commissioners descended upon Ingham in 1536 to suppress the college, they discovered that it had already stopped operating.
Though the nave is mostly 14th century, the south porch is from 1440. It is almost unique in English parish churches in that there are two storeys above the porch entrance. These two chambers were used as a residence by the sacrist of Ingham Priory, in his role as vicar of the church. Only seven parish churches in England have two upper storeys to a porch like this.
The exact date that the west tower was built is unknown but in 1488 the rector of Sutton, Roger King, left 6s 8d in his will towards the building of it, so it is assumed to have been built around that time. On the east face of the tower battlements is a Maltese Cross, the symbol of the Trinitarian Order. There are two bells in the tower, the oldest is medieval, of an unknown date, and the second was cast in 1661.
The main historic interest inside the church are the medieval tombs. In the nave is the tomb of Sir Roger de Bois (d. 1300) and his wife Margery (d. 1315), with worn alabaster effigies of the deceased. The style of the effigies suggest that they were carved well after the couple died. On the north side of the chancel is the founder's tomb of Sir Oliver de Ingham. His effigy rests on an unusual bed of pebbles, a design found in only two other English churches. One of the others is at Reepham, Norfolk, and was likely carved by the same mason.
The church gained Grade: I listed building status on 16th. April 1955. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 223662).
Ingham, Norfolk - Holy Trinity
Ingham, written as “Hincham” in the Domesday Book of 1086, means “seated in a meadow”. Nothing of this period survives in the church today. Holy Trinity dates to the 13th. century, but there may have been a church on this spot since the late Saxon period. The oldest part of the present building is a stretch of walling at the south-west corner of the chancel. This is made of whole flints, as against the knapped flint of the rest of the building. The wall contains traces of what appears to be a blocked priest's doorway. Some of the stonework is in herringbone style, common in the late Saxon and early Norman period, but it seems doubtful that this is any earlier than 13th century.
Most of the church dates to the middle of the 14th century, just prior to the onset of the Black Death in 1348. On the north side of the chancel is the tomb of Sir Oliver de Ingham, who died in 1343. The tomb is in the position usually reserved for the founder, which might suggest that the church was erected around 1343, however the style of Sir Oliver's effigy points to an earlier time period, so it seems more likely that he had his own tomb and effigy prepared during his lifetime.
The nave was certainly rebuilt by Sir Oliver's daughter Joan and her husband Sir Miles Stapleton, after Sir Oliver's death. The Stapleton's founded a college of Trinitarian friars dedicated to the Holy Trinity and St. Victor to serve the church. There were two brothers, a sacrist, and a prior to serve Ingham and nearby Walcot churches, and the sacrist also acted as the vicar of Ingham. Though it was never very large, Ingham Priory was the mother house for all the other Trinitarian foundations in England.
There are traces of the monastic buildings on the north side of the church, but the best surviving parts of Ingham Priory now form the core of the nearby Swan Inn.
The college had risen to support six canons, a sacrist, and a prior by the 16th century. Perhaps the college finances could not support so many, for when Thomas Cromwell's commissioners descended upon Ingham in 1536 to suppress the college, they discovered that it had already stopped operating.
Though the nave is mostly 14th century, the south porch is from 1440. It is almost unique in English parish churches in that there are two storeys above the porch entrance. These two chambers were used as a residence by the sacrist of Ingham Priory, in his role as vicar of the church. Only seven parish churches in England have two upper storeys to a porch like this.
The exact date that the west tower was built is unknown but in 1488 the rector of Sutton, Roger King, left 6s 8d in his will towards the building of it, so it is assumed to have been built around that time. On the east face of the tower battlements is a Maltese Cross, the symbol of the Trinitarian Order. There are two bells in the tower, the oldest is medieval, of an unknown date, and the second was cast in 1661.
The main historic interest inside the church are the medieval tombs. In the nave is the tomb of Sir Roger de Bois (d. 1300) and his wife Margery (d. 1315), with worn alabaster effigies of the deceased. The style of the effigies suggest that they were carved well after the couple died. On the north side of the chancel is the founder's tomb of Sir Oliver de Ingham. His effigy rests on an unusual bed of pebbles, a design found in only two other English churches. One of the others is at Reepham, Norfolk, and was likely carved by the same mason.
The church gained Grade: I listed building status on 16th. April 1955. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 223662).