Church of St Mary the Virgin

CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH LANE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1077939
Date first listed:
05-Jun-1953
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary the Virgin
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH LANE
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Date:
2001-03-02
Reference:
IOE01/03146/35
Rights:
© Graham Brown. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1077939
Date first listed:
05-Jun-1953
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary the Virgin
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH LANE
Statutory Address 2:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, HUNSTANTON ROAD

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, CHURCH LANE
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, HUNSTANTON ROAD

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Norfolk
District:
King's Lynn and West Norfolk (District Authority)
Parish:
Heacham
National Grid Reference:
TF 68130 37968

Details

TF 6837 HEACHAM CHURCH LANE (north) and 9/3 HUNSTANTON ROAD (east) 5/6/53 Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

G.V. I

Parish Church. Late C13 cruciform plan with C15 and later alterations. Flint and slated nave, aisles, south porch, clerestorey, crossing tower;and flint, carstone and lead roofed chancel. West gable large 5-light Decorated window divided by battlemented transoms, elaborate tracery in head. Buttresses. South aisle 4 3-light Perpendicular windows with hood moulds; north aisle 4 similar windows, C19 tracery. Perpendicular clerestorey, 4 rounded oculi on south, 4 quatrefoils on north. Central crossing tower with higher roof pitch visible, transepts replaced by c.1800 vestry on south with 3-light switch tracery window with east and west south walls of transepts retained as buttresses, on east with blocked perhaps Decorated window. Tower with south-east stairs turret, 2 blocked lancets on north and south faces, 4 belfry oculi, brick battlements and C18 hood and leaded cupola. North transept replaced c.1800 with additional east bay continuation of the north aisle, with 3-light switch tracery window and massive carstone buttress wedge rising to height of bell chamber with openings at this level. Chancel flint, clunch and carstone chequerwork, on south early C19 straight headed 3-light switch tracery window and 4-light east window. c.1300 south priest's door, early C19 lean-to vestry on north. South porch Perpendicular, knapped flint south face to churchyard, rubble flint east and west, stone dressings, niche with miniature vault. Early C19 brick dressings. Interior: springing of no longer extant vault, south door c.1300 2 orders of detached shafts with bases and capitals, richly moulded arch. Nave 5 bay north and south arcades c.1300, alternating octagonal or cylindrical piers with seat-bases, capitals, double hollow chamfered arches, hood-moulds with carved head label stops. Crossing c.1300 but altered : western arch tallest with octagonal half columns carrying stilted arch with some red scroll painting, and on east return detached shafts cut off below capital level. North arch with 3 attached Early English style shafts with bases and capitals, to south octagonal corresponding with those of nave. East arch and piers, scroll work c.1300. St. John Baptist figure painting on south west crossing pier. c.1500 rood screen, one-light divisions and tracery panels. Stalls mid C19. Lack of sedilia and piscina suggests c.1800 truncation or rebuilding of chancel. Monument 1830 to Nicholas Styleman Esq., by J.B. Armer, Snettisham, sculptor on Adam/Neo Classical style of c.1775. Nave : square stone font with quatrefoils, set on cruciform steps. Good collection of C18 wall tablets to Rolfe family of Heacham Hall, 8 Rolfe hatchments. Royal Arms George III. North aisle tomb Jacobean classical 1625 to Robert Redmayne; standing monument, stone, slate and polychromy.

Listing NGR: TF6813037968

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
221183
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St Mary the Virgin

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jul-2026 at 19:33:25.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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