St Peter Mancroft is a beautiful parish church situated in the centre of Norwich adjacent to the open market place. Like the castle and market place, it was a Norman foundation, the first church being built here by Ralph de Guader, Earl of Norfolk, in 1075, and dedicated to St Peter and St Paul.
Shortly afterwards Earl Ralph lost everything by rebellion against William the Conqueror, who now bestowed the church on one of his chaplains, Wala, and he gave it to the Abbey of St Peter at Gloucester when he joined the Benedictine monks there.
It remained under the patronage of Gloucester Abbey for three hundred years, and was known as St Peter of Gloucester in Norwich. Then in 1388, after local pressure, it was handed over to the Benedictine community of St Mary-in-the-Fields, who had their own great church situated only 150 yards (140m) away on a site now covered by the Assembly House and the Theatre Royal. The Dean and Chapter of St Mary's found the old Church of St Peter and St Paul so badly out of repair that in 1390 they decided to rebuild it. But it was not until 1430 with gifts and legacies from wealthy citizens, and donations from merchant and craft guilds, that the first stone was laid. After twenty-five years, in 1455, the Church of St Peter and St Paul was re-consecrated, its proportions and furnishings as perfect as their sense of worship, their love of beauty, and their claim on the generosity and skills of Norwich citizens would allow.
At the time of the Reformation the two Saints Peter and Paul were given independent Saints' days and the Churches' name was changed to St Peter Mancroft. The Mancroft part of the name is thought to have come from the period when the Normans disrupted the Saxon market in Tombland by building their cathedral and monastery enclosure over it, forcing the citizens to set up a new market in the Magna Crofta or 'Great Meadow' adjacent to their castle, where a watchful eye could be kept on it. The name Mancroft or the 'Man' part of it is thought to have been taken from the name of the original owner of this land.
There was once a large male voice choir which disbanded in 2000, though music is still an essential part of worship with the majority of the services being sung by one of the choirs at the Church. The baroque style organ, one of the finest of its kind, means that St Peter Mancroft is also an exceptional concert venue with many concerts being held all the year round.
A new organ by Peter Collins was installed in 1984.
St Peter Mancroft has a peal of fourteen Whitechapel bells in the western tower, eleven of which date from 1775 and the latest of which dates from 1997. St Peter Mancroft is important in the history of change ringing because in 1715, 5040 changes of Plain Bob Triples were rung for the first time, in 3 hours and 17 minutes, as recorded in an inscription in the tower. Subsequently, the first complete peals to the change ringing systems known as Grandsire and Stedman were also rung in St Peter Mancroft.
To find the cache you have to go to the above coords and find The answers to the following questions by walking round the Church yard
Mary Bolingbroke was A 3 years old when she died
Geo Jewell died in 1g3h g-h= B
Samuel Thurston was C2 when he died
John Rooks died on XX Xth day of the month
Sir John Harrison Yallop died in !8Y5
Anne wife of William W. died on the 2Zth day of the month
The cache is a small container with a log book in but no pen, so bring a pen/pencil and replace as found. Oh and watch out for muggles!