Remains Of Creake Abbey Church

TF 83 NE NORTH CREAKE

5/36 Remains of Creake 5.6.53. Abbey Church (formerly listed as The Remains of St Mary's Aboey)

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Remains of Abbey Church of St. Mary. Founded 1206 for Augustinian Canons, first a Priory, then an Abbey. Dissolved 1507 after extinction of community in the plague, given 1509 to newly founded Christ's College, Cambridge. Mostly C13, some C14 and C15 evidence. Flint, ashlar and rubble stone. Formerly nave and aisles with crossing, north and south transepts and choir. Church perhaps lost nave and aisles in C15, transepts truncated and chapels added at south east and north east. Nave and aisles survive as footings only. South bondary of south aisle forms cloister garden wall of Abbey Farmhouse (q.v.). North and south aisles end in C13 2-centred ashlar piers and arches, at south with 2-light paired lancets inserted. Crossing survives to springing of arches, at north-west to capital level, at north-east and south-west as pier, capital and springing of arch, at south-east as capital and part of arch. Polygonal projections and finely moulded arches. 6 bay chancel, 4 bays surviving to roof height. North and south arches next to crossing with semi octagonal piers and moulded arches, perhaps C14 or C15 insertions. Above 4 giant blank arcades, interrupted by north and south arches, rising from dado to vault height, formerly with detached shaft colonnettes. South crossing chapel has C13 arch from south transept, east and south windows. North crossing arch blocked in C15. North transept replaced by 2 C14 north-east chapels. Inner chapel parallel with choir has C13 south arch, 2 C14 quatrefoil piers with moulded arches opening to outer chapel, south piscina. Substantial outer north-east chapel has fine octagonal mid-C14 south pier, surviving south side arch with mouldings dying into piers. Dado sill and segmental north sepulchre arch. C14 east window without tracery, south side piscina. First restored 1864 by R.M. Phipson, architect. Ancient Monument, County Number 196. See C.H. Compton Creake, Norfolk; its Abbey and Churches (Journal of British Archaeological Association, 46 (1890), pp. 201-20; R.J. Simpson North Creake Church and Abbey (Norwich 1896) and Bedingfield A L and Gilyard - Beer R, Creake Abbey Norfolk (H.M. Ministry of Works Guide) (1970).

Listing NGR: TF8561339490