About
North Elmham was the principal seat of the Bishops of East Anglia in the late Saxon period, and excavations found an earlier timber building here, probably the Anglo-Saxon cathedral, abandoned when the bishop's seat moved to Thetford in 1071. Between 1091 and 1119 Bishop Herbert de Losinga built a small private chapel on the site, unusual for its west tower as wide as the nave, towers flanking the transept and a semicircular apse. In the 14th century Henry Despenser, the Bishop of Norwich despised for crushing the Peasants' Revolt, turned it into a house and in 1388 obtained a licence to fortify it, adding the moat and banks that still ring the ruins. Graphic panels explain the puzzling remains, and reviewers praise them and the fields behind, where a path leads towards an old railway line. North Elmham Parish Council manages the site, and a guidebook is sold at St Mary's church nearby. Dogs on leads are welcome.
Open in daylightFrom English Heritage's calendar
- See notice
Open any reasonable time during daylight hours with a closing time of 8pm or dusk if earlier
From English Heritage's published calendar, updated 1 October 2026, with dates up to 16 March 2027.
Opening times may change at short notice.
Open any reasonable time during daylight hours, closing at 8pm or dusk if earlier.
Managed by North Elmham Parish Council for English Heritage. A guidebook is sold at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, just south of the chapel.
Accessibility: The main path into and through the site is gravel and suitable for buggies and wheelchairs; further access is over grass, some of it sloped.
Parking: No designated car park; limited parking at the start of Church Lane. Pubs, shops and a cafe are in the village.
Photo: Michael Garlick. CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Elmham,_Bishop_de_Losinga%27s_c12th_chapel_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6178176.jpg. Resized for display.
Dogs at the location: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs on leads are welcome.
Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs on leads are welcome. Free open-access site; no ticket or membership needed.
Leads: On leads.
PricingFreeFree for all visitors
Free entry for everyone
Entry
Free for everyone
Pricing details
Free to everyone; open access site. English Heritage membership is not needed.
ParkingNo car park
Arrive on foot, by bike or by public transport.
Parking details
No designated car park, but some limited parking at the start of Church Lane near the chapel gate.
Driving arrival: the start of Church Lane at its junction with the High Street, beside the chapel gate.
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