Publications by Helen Lunnon
Norwich Ultra Aquam ('over the water') formed a discrete leet or administrative area within the m... more Norwich Ultra Aquam ('over the water') formed a discrete leet or administrative area within the medieval city. At its heart was an Anglo-Scandinavian defensive enclosure, with Coslany lying to the west, and later suburban developments to the north and east. Evidence from topographic, dedicatory, archaeological and inter-parochial relationships, suggests that the pattern of church foundation was both complex and distinctive. Unlike several parishes south of the river, there are no indications that the early phases of Ultra Aquam church foundations were the initiative of senior ecclesiastics, or had specifically royal connections. Rather, they were local projects responding to the manner in which the city was developing. Later in the Middle Ages monastic interest on the north bank increased but several of the churches remained in secular hands. Patronage, whether lay or ecclesiastical, played a key part in their architectural development; St Michael Coslany and St George Colegate in particular received considerable burgess investment. The rich antiquarian tradition in the city provides a record of attitudes to the churches in the post-Reformation period which has to be understood in terms of priorities that changed over time.
British Art Studies 6, 2015
This paper presents a study of the iconographic relationship between medieval church porches and ... more This paper presents a study of the iconographic relationship between medieval church porches and the porches of King Solomon. In so doing it develops Richard Krautheimer’s work to elucidate the inventive capacity of medieval designers when a prototype is known only through written sources not structural actuality. The paper begins by introducing instances where established architectural modes were adopted for the design of a church porch, for example the cloistral attributes of the porch at Great Massingham (Norfolk). It is then argued that, based on formal study of entrance buildings including porch-towers, gatehouses, and ultimately the remarkable double-depth north porch at St Mary Redcliffe, biblical descriptions of Solomon’s forebuildings presented designers with malleable models which afforded inventive architectural interpretation. Access the full article here: http://www.britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/issue-index/issue-6/inventio-porticus
Saints and Cults in Medieval England: proceedings of the 2015 Harlaxton Medieval Studies conferenc
Sue Powell (ed.) 2017. Saints and Cults in Medieval England. Proceedings of the 2015 Harlaxton Sy... more Sue Powell (ed.) 2017. Saints and Cults in Medieval England. Proceedings of the 2015 Harlaxton Symposium (Shaun Tyas)
Current Research by Helen Lunnon
Project Summary 58 parish churches are known to have stood within the medieval walls of Norwich. ... more Project Summary 58 parish churches are known to have stood within the medieval walls of Norwich. Of these 25 were likely in existence by 1066 with several others founded in the Conqueror's reign. Some 30 of them still remain – the greatest concentration of medieval urban churches north of the Alps. A number of these buildings are of the highest architectural quality, retaining memorials of national or international importance, as well as significant medieval furnishings. The extant buildings and archaeological remains are complemented by a sizable primary documentary record providing contextual and circumstantial information on the churches. Inhabitants of medieval and early modern European cities were also parishioners. Their sense of place in society was partly determined by the parish in which they lived, at the heart of which was the church. These buildings were the primary setting for 'rites of passage' and it would be hard to exaggerate the significance of this place as a factor framing people's experiences. The plan and scale of the building, its furnishings and setting within the cityscape helped to form the image of the parish and self-images of its members. A large church set in a spacious churchyard in a prominent position engendered different responses from those that were small and hemmed in. These physical factors had agency and were productive in various ways, constituting a sense of continuity with the past and pride in the present. Remarkably, no major modern architectural or art-historical study of this corpus of structures has ever been undertaken. The only significant published record of the churches' interiors is that by Blomefield produced in the mid-18 th century. In addition to the extant buildings, the location of most – but not all – of the lost churches is known and archaeological examination has been undertaken at several sites. Despite this, no comprehensive assessment of the development of the churches, their impact upon and response to the urban geography or their social and economic role has been attempted. The research void is not, of course, total. Important work on aspects of the churches continues to be undertaken and studies include Finch on church monuments, King on glass, and Lunnon on porches. Similarly, Woodman has produced scale plans of all the extant churches and published a study of the rebuilding of St Peter Mancroft. The excavated churches of St Martin-at-Palace and St Benedict have been published, so too a timber church of unknown dedication. These examples underline the lack of research directed elsewhere, particularly the absence of synthesis. It is apparent that the wealthiest parishes were to a degree in competition to provide appropriate settings for worship in a city centre where available space was scarce. In seeking to express their piety and community parishioners looked firstly to other churches of similar status. But even parishes of lesser wealth and status sought to improve their churches, and for guidance looked to the options already available in the city. As the chronology of the buildings has yet to be established, the mechanisms of emulation and enhancement are poorly understood and so too the role they played in helping forge parish identities. Collectively the parish churches of Norwich represent a major and largely untapped research resource. A collaborative approach is imperative to the nature of the material and the research questions intended to be addressed. Therefore, the project is founded on cross-disciplinary values. Based in the Department of Art History and World Art Studies in the University of East Anglia, active partnerships are being forged with researchers working in other academic disciplines, notably history and archaeology.
Conference Presentations by Helen Lunnon
This paper draws on research conducted into the architectural and representational iconographies ... more This paper draws on research conducted into the architectural and representational iconographies of English medieval church porches. Key examples will be used to demonstrate that these buildings were not simply precursors to the main event (i.e. the church interior) but conflated some of the most powerful of Christian notions: The Virgin's Womb, The Throne of Solomon, and the Virgin of Mercy. Porches were locations for the performance of several Christian rites of passage where the delegate would experience states of liminality and the soul risked corruption whilst in limbo. The design and architectural resonance of church porches was thus required to both facilitate entry into the heart of the Christian communion (the church proper) but also to care for those temporarily contained outside of the church's sealed envelope. Having outlined the primary textual evidence for the relationship between the Virgin's Womb and Solomon's Throne, the paper will present a detailed study of how porch exteriors introduced that which was contained within and also elevated the moment of entry. Meanwhile, vaulted interiors enclose and shield those within, protecting and preparing parishioners for baptism or marriage, and penitents awaiting re-admission into the church following confession.
Programme and abstracts for the 'Norwich and the Medieval Parish Church' conference 17 - 19 June ... more Programme and abstracts for the 'Norwich and the Medieval Parish Church' conference 17 - 19 June 2017. This conference, sponsored by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and Purcell UK, is organised in conjunction with the Leverhulme Trust funded research project 'The Medieval Parish Churches of Norwich: city, community and architecture' at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England. www.norwichmedievalchurches.org/conference
Papers by Helen Lunnon
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Publications by Helen Lunnon
Current Research by Helen Lunnon
Conference Presentations by Helen Lunnon
Papers by Helen Lunnon