St Nicholas, Dilham, Norfolk
I saw St Nicholas from the main road, and with time enough for an unplanned stop.
You approach St Nicholas down a narrow lane, with enough space for a single car to park outside; maybe I missed the "official" car park, but I don't thin so.
And walking through the churchyard, the thing you notice if the half tower at the west end of the church. Was this some kind of ancient abandoned Norman structure, with a Victorian rebuild bolted on?
-----------------------------------------
St Nicholas is visible off in the fields from the Wroxham road, but from this angle appears very odd; you need a second glance to reassure yourself that it really is a church. There is a truncated round tower which has all the appearance of a vast flower vase, and as you get closer you can see the clean lines and unknapped flint that suggests a considerable restoration.
In fact, nothing that you see is ancient, and virtually all of it is 20th century. The church was built in the 1930s, and the stump of tower comes from only a hundred years earlier. I'm not convinced that it has ever been any higher - I think the 'ruins' against the west wall were a folly. The medieval building was demolished in the 18th century and replaced with a new building. This appears to have been done on the cheap, and 19th century additions and elaborations, like the round tower, could not prolong its life. So, it was demolished and completely rebuilt, the stump retained as a baptistery.
When you know this, you can see at once the clean 1930s lines, the Gothic revival stripped of all Victorian neuroses. Inside and out, there is a modernistic simplicity to this articulate rendering of Norfolk vernacular; even the angel roof is understated. An American correspondent of mine, on seeing these pictures, said that it was like a college dining hall, and I think that is exactly right.
St Nicholas successfully combines this simplicity with an air of Anglo-catholic devotion. The stations of the cross are most unusual, large format photographs of what appear to be artist's dummies set in the positions of the way of the cross. Survivals from the old church include a medieval font and the organ, and a large piece of lead set in a wooden frame. It has a long Latin inscription on it, and with the limited resources I could drag up from school days I took it to be from the roof, since it seems to describe the demolition of the old west end and the building of the round tower in 1835.
As at Worstead, there are photographs of everyone on the war memorial, which is a lovely thing to do. And this is a lovely church, a simple yet splendid modern building set alone in the barley fields, well used, much loved, and open to pilgrims and strangers every day.
Simon Knott, April 2005
www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/dilham/dilham.htm
------------------------------------------
Robert Lord Mallet was lord of the most considerable manor of this town, (fn. 1) of which Edric was deprived; there belonged to it one carucate of land, 9 borderers, one carucate in demean, and 6 acres of meadow, &c. 2 socmen, and the moiety of another held 50 acres, and 2 borderers, with 2 acres of meadow, valued then at 30s. at the survey at 35s. it was eleven furlongs long, and 6 broad, and paid 9d. gelt. (fn. 2)
The family of the Glanviles were enfeoft of it: William de Glanvile was lord in the reign of Henry I. and gave the church to the priory of Bromholm. After them the family of De Gyney held it.
Sir Roger Gyney, son of Sir William Gyney, was lord in the reign of Edward I. and his son Sir William in the 16th of Edward II. and the 21st of Edward III. as was Sir Roger, who by his will, here dated in 1376, requires to be buried in this church, and gives to John his son, this lordship, who by the name of Sir John Gyney, made his will, and gave this manor after the death of Alice his wife, to Sir Henry Inglos, and was proved in 1423, November 5: the said Henry Inglos was in the wars of France, and in the 3d of Henry V. then an esquire, preferred a libel in the court of the constable and Earl-Marshal of England, against Sir John Tiptoft, who had retained him with 16 lances, several archers, &c. and refused to pay him, and so he the said Henry declares that —"He was ready by the help of God and St. George, to prove against the said Sir John, body to body, as the law and custom of arms required in that behalf; (fn. 3) " and in 1421, being then a knight, was taken prisoner at the battle at Bengy in France, where the Duke of Clarence was slain; and in the 5th of Henry VI. he being proxy for Sir John Fastolf, was installed Knight of the Garter for him.
By his will, dated June 20, 1451, he requires to be buried in the presbytery of the priory of Horsham St. Faith's, by Ann his wife; gives to the prior and canons of Ingham 20s. Henry his son and heir, succeeded him, whose son, Edward Inglose, sold it by fine with 10 messuages, &c. to John Bozun, Esq.; after this it came to the Windhams, and Thomas Windham, Esq. was lord in 1570, and in this family it remains, William Windham, Esq. of Felbrig, the late lord dying in 176-.
St. Bennet Of Holm's Fee.
At the survey, the abbot of St. Bennet bad a socman, with 30 acres of land, a borderer, and one carucate valued at 6s. 8d. (fn. 4)
This, as I take it, was held of the abbot, by the lords abovementioned; Odo, the cross-bow man, is said to have held of the abbot, that which Reinberius had. (fn. 5)
Alan Earl of Richmond had in Dilham, and Panceford, a hamlet, probably, to Dilham, 50 acres of land, which a socman of Ralph Stalre was deprived of, 2 villains, and 2 borderers, &c. belonged to it, with one carucate and an acre of meadow, valued at 8s. but at the survey at 5s. (fn. 6)
Ralph, son of Ribald, gave to the church of the Holy Trinity of Norwich, all his lands in Dilham, and Panksford: Ribald was a brother of Earl Alan. Ralph, in his deed, (fn. 7) declares that he gave it for his own soul, that of Robert his son, and of his lord, Earl Alan, and in recompense of a benefaction, the monks of Norwich having paid for him 20 marks to Morell, a Jew, and so acquitted him of it; (the seal is round and the impress a cross flory) and it is now in the dean and chapter of Norwich.
Roger Bigot had also 60 acres of land, of which a freeman of Edric had been deprived; to it belonged 5 borderers, one carucate and an acre of meadow, and this was valued in Suffield. (fn. 8)
Pope Alexander III. in 1176, in the 17th year of his pontificate, granted to John, Bishop of Norwich, the land of Ralph, son of Ribald, which Richard, prior of Norwich, bought of Ralph, of the fee of Hugh Bigod. (fn. 9)
Ralph le Buteler of Heslington, by York, granted to the prior, &c. of Norwich, all his right in 40s. per ann. which William de Crostweyt used to pay him out of a tenement and lands here, in 1282.
The temporalities of this priory valued at 57s. 4d. in 1428, and is now in the dean and chapter of Norwich.
The tenths were 5l. 5s. 5d. ob.; Deducted 26s. 8d.—The temporalities of Bromholm priory 5s. 4d.
Henry Inglos, Esq. son of Sir Henry, died lord on September 15, Ao. 3, Henry VIII. and left by Anne his wife, Edward, aged 18.
The Church is a rectory, dedicated to St. Nicholas, granted to the priory of Bromholm, by William de Glanvile the founder, and appropriated to it, being valued at 20 marks per ann. a vicarage was ordained, valued at two marks, the present valor of which is 5l. 7s. 10d. and is discharged.—Peter-pence were 18d.
In the register of Bromholm, fol. 43, it appears that there was a controversy between Sir William de Gyney, and the prior, about the advowson of this church, and Sir William covenanted to release and levy a fine, the prior paying him 45 marks of silver, and to deliver a deed under seal.—Dated at Crostweyt, in the 2d of Edward I. reserving to himself the right to his chapel here, and the services of the prior's tenants.
Vicars.
Richard, occurs vicar in 1299,
1304, Clement de Wycton, instituted vicar, presented by the prior, &c. of Bromholm.
1320, Bartholomew de Wycton.
1323, Richard de Baketon.
1324, William de Folsham.
1348, John Waterden.
1360, John de Cressingham.
1360, John Aylwode.
1373, William Osmound.
1397, Jeff. Haldeyn.
1426, John Northgate.
1429, Sim. Dacke.
1434, John Bounde.
1435, Sim. Dacke.
1449, John Cowper, by the Bishop, a lapse.
1464, Thomas Skoles, by the prior, &c.
1468, Jeff. Ilberb; by his will in 1498, gives 6 marks for a vestment for a priest; 6 marks to repair a pane of peynting in the church, and the profits of 3 roods of land to the vicaryes here to sing onys in the yere for him, &c. Placebo and Dirige.
1498, Thomas Garton.
1517, Edm. Curtes.
1527, Ralph Lyster.
1535, Peter Ingham.
Thomas Milles, vicar.
On the Dissolution, the patronage of the vicarage, with the appropriated rectory, came to the Crown, and in the year 1600, John Osmond was collated by the Bishop, a lapse; in 1603, he returned 143 communicants.
1612, Arnold Suckerman, by the Bishop of Ely, being granted by Queen Elizabeth, to that see, on an exchange of land belonging to it. Mr. Matthew Stokes, fellow of Caius college, in Cambridge, held this rectory impropriate of that see, by lease; and gave about 1630, to that college for the stipend of one fellow, 3 scholars, &c. but the advowson remained in the see of Ely.
1671, Peter Boardman, by the Bishop of Ely.
1694, Noah Viales, by the Bishop of Ely.
1712, David Baldy. Ditto.
1730, Thomas Goddard. Ditto.
1732, William Williams. Ditto.
¶In the north isle, an old monument, or tomb, with the effigies of a man and woman, the arms and inscription defaced; this was in memory of an Inglose, or a Jenney, and had the arms of Gynney, paly of six, or and gules, a chief ermine, and gules, four bars gemelle, or, on a canton, argent, five billets saltier ways, sable, Inglose;—argent, 2 bars, and a canton, gules, over all a bend, sable, Boys;—also, quarterly, argent and azure, on a bend, sable, three martlets, or, Le Gross;— masculy, gules and ermin, Rokely;—azure, an escotcheon and orle of martlets, argent, Walcot;— Kerdeston; Stapleton; and ermin, on a chief gules, three fusils, ermin, Charles.
On the south side, Fastolf, with a label, argent, and Honing.
In a window, Inglose impaling Bois, and Inglose and Gynney, quarterly.
www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol1...
St Nicholas, Dilham, Norfolk
I saw St Nicholas from the main road, and with time enough for an unplanned stop.
You approach St Nicholas down a narrow lane, with enough space for a single car to park outside; maybe I missed the "official" car park, but I don't thin so.
And walking through the churchyard, the thing you notice if the half tower at the west end of the church. Was this some kind of ancient abandoned Norman structure, with a Victorian rebuild bolted on?
-----------------------------------------
St Nicholas is visible off in the fields from the Wroxham road, but from this angle appears very odd; you need a second glance to reassure yourself that it really is a church. There is a truncated round tower which has all the appearance of a vast flower vase, and as you get closer you can see the clean lines and unknapped flint that suggests a considerable restoration.
In fact, nothing that you see is ancient, and virtually all of it is 20th century. The church was built in the 1930s, and the stump of tower comes from only a hundred years earlier. I'm not convinced that it has ever been any higher - I think the 'ruins' against the west wall were a folly. The medieval building was demolished in the 18th century and replaced with a new building. This appears to have been done on the cheap, and 19th century additions and elaborations, like the round tower, could not prolong its life. So, it was demolished and completely rebuilt, the stump retained as a baptistery.
When you know this, you can see at once the clean 1930s lines, the Gothic revival stripped of all Victorian neuroses. Inside and out, there is a modernistic simplicity to this articulate rendering of Norfolk vernacular; even the angel roof is understated. An American correspondent of mine, on seeing these pictures, said that it was like a college dining hall, and I think that is exactly right.
St Nicholas successfully combines this simplicity with an air of Anglo-catholic devotion. The stations of the cross are most unusual, large format photographs of what appear to be artist's dummies set in the positions of the way of the cross. Survivals from the old church include a medieval font and the organ, and a large piece of lead set in a wooden frame. It has a long Latin inscription on it, and with the limited resources I could drag up from school days I took it to be from the roof, since it seems to describe the demolition of the old west end and the building of the round tower in 1835.
As at Worstead, there are photographs of everyone on the war memorial, which is a lovely thing to do. And this is a lovely church, a simple yet splendid modern building set alone in the barley fields, well used, much loved, and open to pilgrims and strangers every day.
Simon Knott, April 2005
www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/dilham/dilham.htm
------------------------------------------
Robert Lord Mallet was lord of the most considerable manor of this town, (fn. 1) of which Edric was deprived; there belonged to it one carucate of land, 9 borderers, one carucate in demean, and 6 acres of meadow, &c. 2 socmen, and the moiety of another held 50 acres, and 2 borderers, with 2 acres of meadow, valued then at 30s. at the survey at 35s. it was eleven furlongs long, and 6 broad, and paid 9d. gelt. (fn. 2)
The family of the Glanviles were enfeoft of it: William de Glanvile was lord in the reign of Henry I. and gave the church to the priory of Bromholm. After them the family of De Gyney held it.
Sir Roger Gyney, son of Sir William Gyney, was lord in the reign of Edward I. and his son Sir William in the 16th of Edward II. and the 21st of Edward III. as was Sir Roger, who by his will, here dated in 1376, requires to be buried in this church, and gives to John his son, this lordship, who by the name of Sir John Gyney, made his will, and gave this manor after the death of Alice his wife, to Sir Henry Inglos, and was proved in 1423, November 5: the said Henry Inglos was in the wars of France, and in the 3d of Henry V. then an esquire, preferred a libel in the court of the constable and Earl-Marshal of England, against Sir John Tiptoft, who had retained him with 16 lances, several archers, &c. and refused to pay him, and so he the said Henry declares that —"He was ready by the help of God and St. George, to prove against the said Sir John, body to body, as the law and custom of arms required in that behalf; (fn. 3) " and in 1421, being then a knight, was taken prisoner at the battle at Bengy in France, where the Duke of Clarence was slain; and in the 5th of Henry VI. he being proxy for Sir John Fastolf, was installed Knight of the Garter for him.
By his will, dated June 20, 1451, he requires to be buried in the presbytery of the priory of Horsham St. Faith's, by Ann his wife; gives to the prior and canons of Ingham 20s. Henry his son and heir, succeeded him, whose son, Edward Inglose, sold it by fine with 10 messuages, &c. to John Bozun, Esq.; after this it came to the Windhams, and Thomas Windham, Esq. was lord in 1570, and in this family it remains, William Windham, Esq. of Felbrig, the late lord dying in 176-.
St. Bennet Of Holm's Fee.
At the survey, the abbot of St. Bennet bad a socman, with 30 acres of land, a borderer, and one carucate valued at 6s. 8d. (fn. 4)
This, as I take it, was held of the abbot, by the lords abovementioned; Odo, the cross-bow man, is said to have held of the abbot, that which Reinberius had. (fn. 5)
Alan Earl of Richmond had in Dilham, and Panceford, a hamlet, probably, to Dilham, 50 acres of land, which a socman of Ralph Stalre was deprived of, 2 villains, and 2 borderers, &c. belonged to it, with one carucate and an acre of meadow, valued at 8s. but at the survey at 5s. (fn. 6)
Ralph, son of Ribald, gave to the church of the Holy Trinity of Norwich, all his lands in Dilham, and Panksford: Ribald was a brother of Earl Alan. Ralph, in his deed, (fn. 7) declares that he gave it for his own soul, that of Robert his son, and of his lord, Earl Alan, and in recompense of a benefaction, the monks of Norwich having paid for him 20 marks to Morell, a Jew, and so acquitted him of it; (the seal is round and the impress a cross flory) and it is now in the dean and chapter of Norwich.
Roger Bigot had also 60 acres of land, of which a freeman of Edric had been deprived; to it belonged 5 borderers, one carucate and an acre of meadow, and this was valued in Suffield. (fn. 8)
Pope Alexander III. in 1176, in the 17th year of his pontificate, granted to John, Bishop of Norwich, the land of Ralph, son of Ribald, which Richard, prior of Norwich, bought of Ralph, of the fee of Hugh Bigod. (fn. 9)
Ralph le Buteler of Heslington, by York, granted to the prior, &c. of Norwich, all his right in 40s. per ann. which William de Crostweyt used to pay him out of a tenement and lands here, in 1282.
The temporalities of this priory valued at 57s. 4d. in 1428, and is now in the dean and chapter of Norwich.
The tenths were 5l. 5s. 5d. ob.; Deducted 26s. 8d.—The temporalities of Bromholm priory 5s. 4d.
Henry Inglos, Esq. son of Sir Henry, died lord on September 15, Ao. 3, Henry VIII. and left by Anne his wife, Edward, aged 18.
The Church is a rectory, dedicated to St. Nicholas, granted to the priory of Bromholm, by William de Glanvile the founder, and appropriated to it, being valued at 20 marks per ann. a vicarage was ordained, valued at two marks, the present valor of which is 5l. 7s. 10d. and is discharged.—Peter-pence were 18d.
In the register of Bromholm, fol. 43, it appears that there was a controversy between Sir William de Gyney, and the prior, about the advowson of this church, and Sir William covenanted to release and levy a fine, the prior paying him 45 marks of silver, and to deliver a deed under seal.—Dated at Crostweyt, in the 2d of Edward I. reserving to himself the right to his chapel here, and the services of the prior's tenants.
Vicars.
Richard, occurs vicar in 1299,
1304, Clement de Wycton, instituted vicar, presented by the prior, &c. of Bromholm.
1320, Bartholomew de Wycton.
1323, Richard de Baketon.
1324, William de Folsham.
1348, John Waterden.
1360, John de Cressingham.
1360, John Aylwode.
1373, William Osmound.
1397, Jeff. Haldeyn.
1426, John Northgate.
1429, Sim. Dacke.
1434, John Bounde.
1435, Sim. Dacke.
1449, John Cowper, by the Bishop, a lapse.
1464, Thomas Skoles, by the prior, &c.
1468, Jeff. Ilberb; by his will in 1498, gives 6 marks for a vestment for a priest; 6 marks to repair a pane of peynting in the church, and the profits of 3 roods of land to the vicaryes here to sing onys in the yere for him, &c. Placebo and Dirige.
1498, Thomas Garton.
1517, Edm. Curtes.
1527, Ralph Lyster.
1535, Peter Ingham.
Thomas Milles, vicar.
On the Dissolution, the patronage of the vicarage, with the appropriated rectory, came to the Crown, and in the year 1600, John Osmond was collated by the Bishop, a lapse; in 1603, he returned 143 communicants.
1612, Arnold Suckerman, by the Bishop of Ely, being granted by Queen Elizabeth, to that see, on an exchange of land belonging to it. Mr. Matthew Stokes, fellow of Caius college, in Cambridge, held this rectory impropriate of that see, by lease; and gave about 1630, to that college for the stipend of one fellow, 3 scholars, &c. but the advowson remained in the see of Ely.
1671, Peter Boardman, by the Bishop of Ely.
1694, Noah Viales, by the Bishop of Ely.
1712, David Baldy. Ditto.
1730, Thomas Goddard. Ditto.
1732, William Williams. Ditto.
¶In the north isle, an old monument, or tomb, with the effigies of a man and woman, the arms and inscription defaced; this was in memory of an Inglose, or a Jenney, and had the arms of Gynney, paly of six, or and gules, a chief ermine, and gules, four bars gemelle, or, on a canton, argent, five billets saltier ways, sable, Inglose;—argent, 2 bars, and a canton, gules, over all a bend, sable, Boys;—also, quarterly, argent and azure, on a bend, sable, three martlets, or, Le Gross;— masculy, gules and ermin, Rokely;—azure, an escotcheon and orle of martlets, argent, Walcot;— Kerdeston; Stapleton; and ermin, on a chief gules, three fusils, ermin, Charles.
On the south side, Fastolf, with a label, argent, and Honing.
In a window, Inglose impaling Bois, and Inglose and Gynney, quarterly.
www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol1...