Anglo-Scandinavian Church - Agricultural Hall Plain, Norwich, UK
N 52° 37.752 E 001° 17.922
31U E 384853 N 5832382
This green plaque, erected by North Sea Viking Legacy, is attached to the north west face of the Anlia TV building in Agricultural Hall Plain in Norwich. The plaque advises that this was the site of and Anglo-Scandinavian church and graveyard.
Waymark Code: WMQ1X6
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/02/2015
Views: 5
The Norfolk Heritage Explorer website (see item 15) tells us:
15. Site of an Anglo-Scandinavian church
The studios of Anglia Television) partly occupy the site of an Anglo-Scandinavian church and graveyard. The foundations of the nave and chancel (built around 1000) were excavated in 1979. The church was an early version of the famous stave churches which survive in Norway. The church of St Vedast stood some 150m to the east down Rose Lane. A stone Mammen-style cross shaft was recovered from its site in 1896.
The same website on a different page also tells us:
Anglia House was built as an Agricultural Hall in 1882 by J. B. Pearce, of red brick with Cumberland stone facings. This two and a half storey building has nine bays and circular lights in the upper storey. A number of human skeletons have been discovered underneath this area, and it is likely that these form part of the graveyard associated with the Late Saxon timber church discovered just to the south. The building itself is now part of the Anglian Television studios.
Another page of the same website also tells us:
Excavation in 1979 in the car park of Anglia TV recovered sixty-eight articulated burials in association with a previously unknown Late Saxon timber church, the complete ground plan of which was recovered. A well nearby appears to be associated, and a number of finds including a Late Saxon copper alloy brooch, tweezers, strap ends, silver ring, bone skate, spindle whorl and pottery sherds were also recovered.
May to July 1979. Anglia TV car park. NAU excavation.
Sixty-eight articulated burials located in association with a Late Saxon timber church. Burials in this area were recorded by Kirkpatrick in 1716 when they were disturbed by cellars. Building in three phases. Church was previously unrecorded. A well appeared to be associated. Burnt cabled limestone. Late Saxon bronze brooch, tweezers, two bronze strap ends, silver ring, bone skate, spindlewhorl, baked clay lump, Thetford-type ware. Post medieval red-painted ware. One Beaker barbed and tanged flint arrowhead from excavation. South ditch of northeast castle bailey located in machine dug trial trench.
This page also lists items found during the excavation.
