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Contents
Editorial
The Bridges of Wiveton
J Wright
Synopsis: With an origin going back well into the 1300s the present bridge is almost the oldest building in Wiveton – as well as being one of the oldest bridges in Norfolk – and some account of its history is long overdue. It is not just the structure that deserves comment, for the bridge provides a constant element in the changing landscape of the Glaven valley and therefore helps in the interpretation of documentary and other evidence. Moreover, there used to be another bridge on the other side of the valley, over a separate arm of the Glaven, until it was demolished in the 1700s. This article therefore has three parts: the present bridge, the nature of the valley in which it sits, and then the history of the two bridges up till the time of the Enclosure which finally excluded tidal water from the Glaven valley. It should be noted that the article is based largely on documents in the Norfolk Record Office: little fieldwork has yet been carried out.
Trade Tokens discovered in Wiveton
P Carnell
Synopsis: Almost 1,200 metal objects, one third of them coins and tokens, have been discovered recently by metal detectorists in the Wiveton area. Most of these objects have been identified as far as their condition will allow, and their location in the ground has also been recorded. The author has made a detailed study of these records and in this article he describes the tokens, sets them into their historical context, and comments on their relevance to the history of the Glaven valley.
One of the Churches that Cromwell knocked about a bit – or not?
E Rose
Synopsis: In her article reprinted in the Glaven Historian No.3, Sarah Woodhouse describes the discovery of medieval stained glass in a north chancel window at Wiveton church. This is indeed an important and interesting discovery. However, it is not necessarily the case that the windows were ‘bricked up by the desolate Wiveton parishioners after Cromwell’s men had travelled the coast smashing statues and windows ‘. Other possibilities are examined in this paper.
The Stained Glass of Wiveton Church: another view.
J Wright
Synopsis: Edwin Rose ‘s article in this issue of the Glaven Historian opens up the question of when the stained glass in the chancel of Wive ton church was broken and the windows bricked up. He suggests that there are three periods in history when this might have been done: at the Reformation in the mid 1500s, at the time of the Civil War in the 1640s or during the 1700s when support for the church waned and many churches were allowed to deteriorate. On the evidence of the brick infill he concludes that the latter period is the most likely time for the glass to have been removed and the window blocked This response suggests, in the absence of any actual evidence for depredations by Cromwell ‘s supporters in the area, that the damage was probably done during the Reformation.
Medieval Walls in a Wiveton Rose Bed
J Wright
Synopsis: Late in 1995 the owner of Wiveton Barn, in Leatherpool Lane, Wiveton, rang the author to say that he had found in his garden a wall below ground level while trenching for a new rose bed. It was agreed that the BHG should visit the site, extend the excavation where possible, and record the results. This article describes briefly the findings, noting as well some of the lessons learnt about how (and how not) to conduct such an excavation. In the following Spring the walls were reburied and nothing of them can now be seen.
Flint Walls: A Preliminary Survey of Walls in Wiveton
J Peake
Synopsis: Flint walls are a striking feature of the landscape bordering the Blakeney Haven, yet there is remarkably little recorded information. This paper explores their distribution in one village, Wiveton, and examines how they were constructed, when were they built and suggests some possible uses, relying primarily on evidence drawn from field observations. Walls have been part of the local landscape since at least the 14th century, but the materials and method of construction means there has been a continuous process of repair and renewal. Nevertheless, they still provide a unique insight into local topography and organisation of the village by, for example, defining old boundaries, demonstrating how the landscape has been modified and indicating the status of selected buildings.