St Martin’s Church

St. Martin’s Church

Click below for details of the history and renovation of the ruin.

Ruin of St Martin’s church

The church belonged to the Abbot of St Benets who was given it about the year 1050 by Edward the Confessor.

In 1603 the parish was served by St Marys and Robert Grey was Rector. He returned 70 communicants in the parish.

Henry VIII partly destroyed the church and the puritans completed his work in 1560. Little was done to this church until 1933 when the inside was excavated. Holes in the stonework of the tower might indicate that restoration work was started at some previous date, possibly in the reign of Edward VI. It is obvious that the church was burnt and apart from finding thousands of old flat red tiles, nothing of value has ever been discovered.

The old banner cupboard in this church is on the south side whereas in All Saints it is on the north side.

One unusual feature is that the chancel is wider than the nave.

In 1845, White reports. . . . . St Martins has been in ruins for several centuries, its benefice being consolidated with Shotesham All Saints soon after the Reformation, when upwards of 1,000 acres were enclosed in 1781.