St Cyriac & St Julitta, Swaffham Prior

St Cyriac & St Julitta is one of two churches in the churchyard of Swaffham Prior, the two towers standing just yards apart. Whereas the mediaeval St Mary's continues as the parish church, St Cyriac & St Julitta is now in the care of the Churches Conservation trust.

The churches were originally in separate parishes, probably reflecting separate lordships of the area. It is thought that St Cyriac is the older of the two, but by the early mediaeval period – just after the Domesday survey – it is likely that the population in the neighbouring parish of St Mary's was the larger, although St Cyriac was the better endowed church. However, the two churches continued to function, with separate patronage: after the dissolution of the priory of Ely in 1539, the Bishop held St Mary's, and the Cathedral Dean St Cyriac. Moreover, worship in St Mary's tended towards a Puritan tradition, with St Cyriac in the more conservative Laudian style, with vestments, ornament and candles. This was to lead to some unrest between the two, and resulted in the destruction of images, carvings, altar rails and stained glass in the Commonwealth period.

The arrangement ended in 1667 when the parishes were combined. By the early 19th century, St Cyriac's had become ruinous, but an attempt to remove the spire of St Mary resulted in that church's nave roof being damaged. In 1809, it therefore was decided to restore St Cyriac's as the parish church. A new nave was built, abutting the mediaeval tower, in a spare Georgian Gothic style, with timber window tracery. In 1903, changing taste in architectural and liturgical fashions resulted in the situation being reversed, with St Mary's being restored and St Cyriac falling into ruin. After passing into the care of the CCT, St Cyriac was restored as a concert and performance venue.

The 15th century tower is in the Perpendicular style, with a large square base surmounted by an octagonal bell chamber. This leads into the austere Georgian nave - almost square, with the roof held on four quatrefoil columns - the absence of arches means they can hardly be called arcades. There is a small organ gallery over the entrance from the tower porch, and a south chapel. With whitewashed walls and a bare stone floor, and with almost all the furnishings and monuments being transferred to St Mary's, it now presents a slightly barren appearance, in the absence of events and exhibitions.

St Cyriac & St Julitta, High Street, Swaffham Prior CB25 0LD