Nominal: 702 Hz Weight: 1624 lbs Diameter: 43.5" Bell 1 of 8
Founded by Richard I Brasyer
Dove Bell ID: 4999 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: quarter Cracked: No
Norwich: St Michael-at-Coslany
Overview
Grid reference: TG 228 89
St Michael and All Angels is located between Colegate and Oak Street, approximately 120m north of the river Wensum. In the early fifteenth century, the church consisted of a chancel, an aisleless nave, and a west tower. Remains of all these are still visible, especially the tower which was perhaps begun c.1415 but took some decades to complete. The south-west window and south door of the nave, and much of the chancel (the ground plan and roof and the wall arcade on the south side) also survive and give a good sense of the character of the church at this period. A major transformation of the church began in around 1496, when aisles and chancel chapels were built, doubling the width of the church. The existing nave arcade, the walls of the aisles and chapels, and the large four-centred windows all date from this phase of building, however work on the south side was never completed.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Interior
Interior Description
THE EARLY 15TH-CENTURY west tower of St Michael’s was built onto an aisleless nave. Many decades later work began to transform the body of the church by constructing arcades and aisles. The north aisle was apparently begun first, and the burial of Joan Ferrour is recorded there in 1496 (Cozens-Hardy and Kent 1938, 31). In 1504 Richard Hert, priest, requested burial 'within the holy sanctuary upon the north side of the church of St Michael of Coslany in Norwich within the precinct of the new aisle there to be edified' (NCC RYXE 84).
THE CHAPEL OF ST WILLIAM at the east end of the aisle (north of the chancel) was under construction in 1511, funded in large part by William Ramsey (PROB 11/17). It was not until 1516 that leading the roof on the north side of the church was envisaged, as recorded in the will of Gregory Clerk (PROB 11/18). By that time construction was well advanced on the chancel chapel and aisle on the south side of the church.
AS WE SEE IT TODAY, the nave of St Michael Coslany was constructed between about 1496 and 1516. It is one of four churches with similar arcades built in the years around 1500 (Haward 1995, 100-01). The others are St Martin at Oak (south nave arcade-1490s), St George Colegate (both nave arcades c.1500) and St Andrew (nave and chancel arcades from about 1506). All are characterised by tall, diamond section piers (deeper north-south than east-west) with shafts at the cardinal points; all support four-centred arches. There are however significant differences. There is no indication at St Michael’s that a clearstorey was envisaged and nor is it likely. It would have obscured the middle storey of the tower on the eastern side and served to detract from the freestanding height of the tower. Before the raising of the floor levels in the church to combat the risk of flooding, the arcade arches would have stood 25’ (7.62m) above the ground, considerably more than the 20’6” (6.25m) of contemporary work at St George Colegate. It would thus have been an impressive ‘hall’ church, in which the slope of the aisle roofs continued more or less uninterrupted up to the apex of the nave roof, and the overall open width of the main space was privileged over the addition of upper windows.
THE NEW NAVE ARCADES used the same foundations as the earlier solid walls. The procedure was to cut a vertical section from the wall where a pier was to be located, and then to construct the pier in the void (Woodman 2015, 279-80). Once a pair of piers was in place, work could begin on gradually cutting into the masonry the shape of the arch between them. This void could then be filled with the voussoirs that would constitute the arch. The masonry must have been very carefully propped during this process to prevent the wall above from collapse. The whole operation seems to have been achieved without removing the roof. It is likely that the wall plate supporting the eaves of the roof would have helped distribute the downward pressure of the roof structure along the length of the wall. The next pier to be built would have stood in the opening of the south doorway into the old aisleless nave, but there is no indication that work ever started on it. As a result the old south door into the nave is still in place, and the porch in front of it survived until the 18th century.
Cozens-Hardy, Basil and Kent, Ernest A. 1938. The Mayors of Norwich, 1403 to 1835: Being Biographical Notes on the Mayors of the Old Corporation. Norwich.
Haward, Birkin. 1995. Norfolk Album: Medieval Church Arcades. Ipswich.
Ward, Rachel. 1999. 'The chantry certificates of Norfolk: towards a partial reconstruction', Norfolk Archaeology 43, 287-306.
Woodman, Francis. 2015. ‘St Peter Mancroft and Late Medieval Church Building in Norwich’, Norwich: Medieval and Early Modern Art, Architecture and Archaeology. In Heslop, T. A. and Lunnon, Hele
Bells
Nominal: 1400 Hz Weight: 448 lbs Diameter: 25.75" Bell 2 of 8
Founded by John Stephens 1726
Dove Bell ID: 33469 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 1322.5 Hz Weight: 504 lbs Diameter: 27" Bell 3 of 8
Founded by John Stephens 1726
Dove Bell ID: 33470 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 1180 Hz Weight: 532 lbs Diameter: 28" Bell 4 of 8
Founded by Edward Tooke 1676
Dove Bell ID: 33471 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 1053 Hz Weight: 672 lbs Diameter: 32" Bell 5 of 8
Founded by Edward Tooke 1676
Dove Bell ID: 33472 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 957.5 Hz Weight: 756 lbs Diameter: 33" Bell 6 of 8
Founded by H S
Dove Bell ID: 33473 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 878 Hz Weight: 868 lbs Diameter: 35" Bell 7 of 8
Founded by John II Brend 1638
Dove Bell ID: 33474 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Nominal: 793 Hz Weight: 1120 lbs Diameter: 39.25" Bell 8 of 8
Founded by Richard I Brasyer
Dove Bell ID: 33475 Tower ID: 15623 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: quarter Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: TG 228 89
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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