St Peter & St Paul, Knapton

 

St Botolph, Trunch

 

St Nicholas, Swafield

St Mary the Virgin, Worstead

All Saints, Beighton

St Mary, Fishley

St Mary's lies essentially in the middle of a wide field, along a farm road which, for the first few hundred yards, rather challenges the suspension of your average saloon car. Set among a small copse of trees on a mound, it is a lonely, atmospheric spot.

The round tower is probably Norman, topped with a 15th Century brick bell chamber. This has pretty crenellations and a 14th Century window reset in it. The rest of the church is most probably 13th Century, but much restored. Fishley lost its village in the early Norman period, and had to rely on the local lords of the manor to maintain the fabric. A local guidebook claims the 13th Century rebuild was the result of the generosity of Sir John de Veile, but that little further was done until the 19th Century, by which time the church was predictably ruinous. 

Enter then Miss Sophia Edwards of Hardingham Hall, near Wymondham. She inherited the estate in 1859, and immediately set about improving things, funding an extensive restoration in 1861 to the designs of her cousin, the amateur architect Revd. John Barham Johnson, Rector of Welbourne. This was so thorough that the interior is now almost entirely Victorian in feel. The Church is essentially a single cell, with a small north aisle, with the oddity of an iron post holding up the roof plate in place of an arcade. At the east end of this aisle is a charming rounded quatrefoil window. The church also has a hand-pumped chamber organ of 1781 - originally from Fishley Hall.

Sophia not only provided the estate with a restored church, but also a large rectory, and a school at Upton. An interesting feature is that the glass is all green, purple and white - the suffragette colours. The glass predates the movement by some 40 years, but they somehow seem appropriate for this strong-minded, single woman.

The Church services are listed on the website, and it is a very popular venue for weddings. It is generally open for prayer and visits on Fridays 11-16h.

St Mary, Off South Walsham Road, Fishley, NR13 6DA

St Andrew, North Burlingham

St Peter & St Paul, Cromer

St Catherine, Ludham

St Mary, Stalham

St Michael & All Angels, Barton Turf

St Mary the Virgin, Wroxham

All Saints, Salhouse

The Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist (R.C.), Norwich

St Stephen, Norwich

St John Maddermarket, Norwich

St Peter, Clippesby

St Mary the Virgin, Martham

 

All Saints, Horsey

 

St Edmund, South Burlingham

St Laurence, Brundall

 

St Andrew & St Peter, Blofield

 

St Michael & All Angels, Braydeston

All Saints, Hemblington

 

St Fabian & St Sebastian, Woodbastwick

 

All Saints, Panxworth

How ruined does a church have to be, before it doesn't really count? It's a question I have to ask myself in this case, where all that remains of Panxworth's church is a tower, part of the west wall, and a tower arch. However, unearthing its history has turned into a bit of a detective story, so here goes.

The village was actually one of the larger in the area at the time of Domesday, with 23 households - and a church. This was rebuilt in stone sometime later - the tower is 14th century. Clearly, the fortunes of the village had declined somewhat by the 17th Century, and in the 1840s a local newspaper commented that the church was ruinous, with - then as now - only the tower remaining. 

Yet, somehow funds were raised to rebuild the nave and chancel in 1847. Things get a little interesting here: Pevsner's Buildings of England gives the architect as James Weston, but the ground plan from 1846 (here) is signed James Watson. A case of mistaken attribution? No matter - the plan shows a substantial porch leading into a simple undivided cell, with three single light windows on the north and south walls, and a three-light east window. Watson (or Weston) provided square-headed windows with cusped lights beneath, matching those of the tower - and accommodation for an astonishing 23 pews! 

Alas, by the late 1960s history had repeated itself, and the church was declared redundant. Weston's nave and chancel were demolished in 1981 (again, Buildings of England says 1976, but fascinating photographs from 1978 by George Plunkett show the church still very much standing, albeit in very poor repair).

Today, all that remains is a small section of the west nave wall, and the thin, unbuttressed tower of flint with stone dressings. It has windows with cusped tracery, gargoyles and flushwork battlements, and the remains of the tall, narrow tower arch. However, it is clearly cared for, with a tidy graveyard and a noticeboard announcing services elsewhere in the benefice.

All Saints, Panxworth Church Road, Panxworth NR13 6JF

St Michael & All Angels, Aylsham

 

St Helen, Ranworth

 

St Mary, South Walsham

 

St Lawrence, South Walsham

 

St Edmund, Acle

 

St Mary the Virgin, Great Abington

 

St Mary, Little Abington

 

The Chapel of St John the Baptist, Duxford

Whilst not strictly a church (it is no longer consecrated), I have included Duxford Chapel because of its interesting history and rustic charm.

It was founded around 1200 by the local Lord of the Manor, Sir William de Colville, and first mentioned in records in 1236.  Now in the care of English Heritage, the chapel was part of a small hospital providing shelter for travellers and care for sick people, one of many such foundations established around this time. It would have been staffed by a Master with at least one other brother.

The chapel was largely rebuilt in the 14th century, when it became a chantry: it is possible that the hospital (like many others in the period) lost some or all of its endowments. Whatever the cause, it remained a chantry until it, like others, was dissolved in 1548 under Edward VI. Thereafter, it was used as a barn for the adjacent Inn, which presumably had also taken over its original role to provide hospitality for travellers.

The chapel has an undivided nave and chancel, and is made of flint and pebble rubble, with dressings of limestone and clunch. The single-light windows on the north side have cusped headings, and shafted jambs inside with moulded caps and bases. The east end of the chapel is best preserved, with the remains of an easter sepulchre, aumbry, piscina and sedilia.

The chapel is normally open during daylight hours: free entry.

All Saints, East Stratton

Built by Sir Thomas G Jackson for Lord Northbrook in 1885-90, All Saints is a lovely example of a late-Victorian village church, prettily located in a spacious churchyard.

The church itself is largely Perpendicular in style, made of knapped flint with Chilmark stone dressings, and a pretty timber porch. The well-proportioned tower with its shingled broach-spire is sadly hidden on the side away from the road. Inside, the church comprises a nave, chancel, and a short 3-bay north aisle.

The interior contains interesting early electric light fittings, suspended on chandeliers of decorative wrought ironwork, which lend an Arts-and-Crafts touch. Lord Northbrook himself (1826-1904) is commemorated by a memorial tablet in the chancel: a prominent Liberal statesman, he was Viceroy of India (1872-76) and First Lord of the Admiralty (1880-85).

Located in the Upper Dever benefice, the church has a service every two weeks, with Evensong at 6pm (second Sunday) and Holy Communion at 10am (fourth Sunday). The church is normally open for private prayer during daylight hours.

All Saints, Church Bank Road, East Stratton SO21 3FJ