The Church is situate on a hill, having a large square tower at its west end, which was designed to be carried to a greater height, but was never finished, its head being shortened by the misfortunes of its founder, Thomas Duke of Norfolk, whose crest remains on the buttresses at this time [1736.] Here are five very large tuneable bells; on the three biggest are these inscriptions:
On the third, Dona repende pia. Rogo Magdalena Maria.
On the fourth, Hac non bade bia, nisi dicas Abe Maria Sit semper sine Ue, qui Michi dicat Abe.
On the fifth, Tripler Persona, Trinitas, nunc gaudia dona, Dui Regnas trinus Personis, et Deus unus.
The nave is 40 yards long and 7 broad, having a porch joined to its south side, and an isle to its north, all which are covered with lead, and seem to be much older than the tower; the chancel is also leaded, and was built by John Millgate, the last Prior of Bokenham, whose monument remains in the south wall, though it is robbed of its arms and inscription, which remained in Mr. Weaver's time, for he tells us, fo. 859, that it appeared by his tomb that he built the chancel, though there are two grand mistakes in his relation of it, for he is called there Shildgate, instead of Milgate, and said to be Prior of Windham, instead of Bokenham. He bare for arms three escalops, which are to be seen on a brick in the chancel wall, two lions being the supporters, as also upon a wall of a house at Thompson, in which Roger Colman, clerk, lately dwelt, with this under them:
Perpetuis Annis, Milgate Memento Johannis.
And this motto:
HELP HANDIS.
By which it should seem as if this house also was built by him. Whether these were his paternal arms or no, I cannot say, but rather think they were not; the escalops might be assumed (for want of arms) as the badge of St. James, to whom his priory was dedicated, and the rampant lions might be placed significantly enough as supporters, that house being founded by William de Albany Earl of Arundell, whose arms were, gul. a lion rampant or. In digging a grave for one Mr. Watts, near this tomb, they happened on a vault close to the wall, in which this prior's bones till that time laid undisturbed. To the north side of the chancel joins a chapel or chantry, now converted into a school-house, and vestry; it hath [W.B.] cut in stone over the north door; and in a window is a broken effigies kneeling, and this,
DOMINUS MICHI GRACIA. IN DOMINO CONFIDO..
The step up to the altar still remains, and the altar stone is taken down, and laid level with the pavement, north and south, exactly as it stood, before which lies a large stone which hath been taken up, and hath this lately cut on it:
Here lyeth the Body of Habbak Layman, Surgeon, who departed this life the 5th Day of April, Ano Dom. 1699. Ætatis suæ 51.
This stone is robbed of a large brass effigies and four shields,
