Ecclesiastical
Buildings - page2
Castle
Acre Priory.
Castle Acre Priory was of Cluniac monks founded by William de Warenne,
Earl of Surrey, in 1090. It is the impressive and among the finest
remains in East Anglia. The 12th century west front of the priory
still stands at full height and is beautifully decorated and the
remains of the church are interesting. The 12th century cloister
was remodelled in 1500. The chapter house dates from 1140. The dormitory
stairs and windows remain and, to the south, so do parts of the
Priors’ lodgings. They can be entered by a 12th century porch.
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Upstairs there are traces of 14th century wall paintings and
16th century painting on the roof beams. There is a particularly
fine set of medieval loo’s (the reredorter).
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Castle
Rising St. Lawrence.
Castle Rising St. Lawrence is late Norman with a central tower.
It is built of local carstone and Barnack stone from Northamptonshire.
There is fine Norman decoration on the west front. The font is Norman
with animal heads. Much altered in Victorian times.
Cawston
St. Agnes
Cawston St. Agnes is Perpendicular. The chancel is earlier, about
1305. The nave, completed by the mid 15th century, has a spectacular
hammerbeam roof with bosses and angels with spread wings. The rood
screen has paintings of Apostles and others. Inside there are also
two separate ‘wild men and dragons’. Wall paintings include
a 15th century painting of St. Agnes.
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Cley
St. Margaret
Cley St. Margaret, late 13th century, has a fine clerestory
and south porch.
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Cockthorpe
All Saints’.
It has a tower and a piscina of about 1300, a clerestory of the
late 15th century and a font of the 17th century. The wall paintings
are 15th century: St. Christopher on the north wall and the text
of the Ten Commandments on the east wall.
Creake
Abbey.
The remains of the church of an Augustinian abbey founded in 1227
as a priory. There was a hospital with a chapel here by 1206. After
a severe outbreak of plague it was dissolved in 1506. A farmhouse
has been built on part of the site.
Cromer
St. Peter and St. Paul
Cromer St. Peter and St. Paul is the tallest Norfolk church, the
tower being 160 feet high. Much of it is built of knapped flint.
Little of the original church remains.
Edingthorpe
All Saints’.
Has a typical round Norfolk tower and a thatched nave. It dates
from the late 12th century. The font is 14th century. The upper
part of the screen is 14th century and painted with six saints.
On the north wall there is a painting of St. Christopher of about
1400, and also the Seven Works of Mercy.
Elsing
St. Mary
Elsing St. Mary has a marvellous memorial brass to Sir Hugh Hastings
1347.
Felbrigg
St. Margaret.
Close to Felbrigg Hall, the original village having been removed,
it stands in a field. The 15th century brasses are interesting.
All have been restored.
Fincham.
St. Martin
Fincham. St. Martin has a fine early 12th century Norman font. There
are arches over figures, the three Magi, the Nativity and manger,
ox, ass and shepherd, the Baptism, Adam and Eve and the tree.
Great
Yarmouth St. Nicholas
The largest parish church in England. It was founded in 1101 and
completed in 1119. All that remains of that church are some lower
parts of the walls. It was enlarged and the tower heightened in
the late 12th to 13th century and continued to be expanded over
the years. It became ruinous in the 18th century and was rebuilt
in the 19th century. In 1942 it was hit by an incendiary bomb and
gutted by fire. It was rebuilt in 1957 to 1960.
Gunton
St. Andrew
18th century and designed by Robert Adam. It has a Classical portico
with four columns.
Houghton
St. Giles, Slipper Chapel
The chapel where the pilgrims left their shoes to walk barefoot
to head for Little Walsingham; some still do.
Irstead
St. Michael.
A small thatched 14th century church. It has a 15th century octagonal
font with eight statuettes with the Head of Christ, the Hand of
God, John the Baptist’s Head on a salver, and the Agnus Dei.
The screen has twelve painted Apostles. There are wall paintings,
two of St. Christopher.
