It seems an age since we did route 15, at the end of June. The route, which started and finished at Acle station, was a reasonably challenging 45 miles in total and filled in the ‘missing piece’ to complete the whole of the north east of the county, from Wells in the west right round the coast to Gt Yarmouth and south to an ‘east – west’ line through Norwich.

The Route:

The Churches:

All Saints Billockby, St Margaret Burgh St Margaret, St Mary Burgh St Mary, St George Rollesby, St Peter Clippesby, St Edmund Thurne, St Peter Repps, St Mary Martham, All Saints Horsey, St Mary West Somerton, Holy Trinity & All Saints Winterton, St Mary the Virgin Hemsby, St Michael Ormesby St Michael, St Margaret Ormesby St Margaret, Holy Trinity Caister, St Edmund West Caister, All Saints Filby, St Mary Thrigby, St Peter & St Paul Mautby, St Peter & St Paul Runham and St Andrew Stokesby

The Photos:

All Saints, Billockby

St Margaret, Burgh St Margaret 

St Mary, Burgh St Mary

St George, Rollesby

St Peter, Clippesby – window detail

St Edmund the King Martyr, Thurne

St Peter, Repps

Sundial detail

St Mary, Martham

All Saints, Horsey

Interior – All Saints

St Mary, West Somerton

Holy Trinity & All Saints, Winterton – interior

St Mary the Virgin, Hemsby

St Michael, Ormesby St Michael

A modern day ‘Georgia and the Dragon’, St Margaret, Ormsby St Margaret

Holy Trinity, Caister

St Edmund (new), West Caister

All Saints, Filby

Detail of painted rood screen

St Mary, Thrigby

St Peter & St Paul, Mautby

St Peter & St Paul, Runham

St Andrew, Stokesby

and by the end, dead? –  well not quite..

Last Thursday I resumed my on-going project to cycle to and photograph all of the historic churches of Norfolk. We couldn’t have picked a much colder, more overcast, day with a stiff north wind. I was accompanied by my friend Helen (she of the Walking Tours of Norwich City Churches fame). We cycled over 50k and did 19 churches, all in the area, east of Norwich, between the A47 and the river Yare. The day ended badly for me when I realised that I’d lost my phone, somewhere on route. I retraced my steps nearly back to our lunch stop, missed my return train to Norwich and incurred significant unwelcome extra miles – and all to no avail. Lets hope that the rest of this seasons cycle rides go better! Still we did see some very nice churches –  unfortunately many of which, in this particular part of the county, are locked.

The Route 

The Churches

St Andrew Thorpe St Andrew, All Saints Postwick, St Lawrence Brundall, St Andrew Blofield, St Michael Braydeston, St Peter Strumpshaw, St Nicholas Buckenham, St Mary Hassingham, St Margaret Cantley, St Botolph Limpenhoe, St John the Baptist Reedham, All Saints Freethorpe, St Andrew Wickhampton, St Peter & St Paul Tunstall, St Peter & St Paul Halvergate, St Mary Moulton St Mary, All Saints Beighton, St Edmund South Burlingham and St Peter Lingwood.

The Photos

St Andrew, Thorpe St Andrew

All Saints, Postwick

St Lawrence, Brundall

Stained glass detail

St Andrew, Blofield

Font, depicting the life of Christ – unique in Norfolk

The ‘Red Cross’ window

St Michael, Braydeston

St Peter, Strumpshaw

St Nicholas, Buckenham

Simple, slightly ‘decaying’ interior

St Mary, Hassingham

St Margaret, Cantley

St Botolph, Limpenhoe

St John the Baptist, Reedham

All Saints, Freethorpe

St Andrew, Wickhampton

Details of 14th century wall paintings =- amongst the best in England

St Peter & St Paul, Tunstall

Face in the wall

St Peter & St Paul, Halvergate

St Mary, Moulton St Mary

14th century wall paintings depicting the Seven Works of Mercy

All Saints, Beighton

St Edmund, South Burlingham

Fine interior with early painted pulpit, wall painting and rood screen

Elephant & Castle bench end

St Peter, Lingwood

By Sunday there had been a significant change in the weather – rain and strong winds, so we limited our ride to a 20 mile circuit around Bawdeswell. We did manage to take in nine churches though.

The Route

The Churches

All Saints Bawdeswell, St Peter Billingford, St Mary North Elmham, St Swithun Bintree, St Nicholas Twyford, All Saints Wood Norton, Church of the Holy Innocents Foulsham, St Andrew Themelthorpe and St Thomas Foxley

The Photos

All Saints, Bawdeswell was completely rebuilt after a British Mosquito plane crashed into the original, returning from a bombing raid in WW11

The plaque which commemorates the tragic event

St Peter, Billingford – one of a handful of Norfolk churches with an octagonal tower – our second of the weekend

The most notable feature inside is the 16th century giant latten lectern, from the same foundry as the one in St Marks, Venice

St Mary the Virgin, North Elmham – features in Simon Jenkins’ England’s 1000 Best Churches

The lofty interior

Medieval wall painting fragment

The noteworthy St Cecilia painted screen

Detail of the fine carved Tudor pews

St Swithun, Bintree

The hidden away little church of St Nicholas, Twyford

All Saints, Wood Norton

Details of medieval stained glass fragments

Church of the Holy Innocents, Foulsham

Unfortunately my camera battery gave up at this point but happily Bry had his phone with him to record the final two churches of the weekend!

St. Andrew, Themelthorpe

St Thomas, Foxley

Taking advantage of the recent unseasonably warm weather, spent the weekend catching up on a few more historic churches. On Saturday brother Bryan – veteran of the memorable ‘Four Countries End to End’ ride in 2012 and I did a nice circular route, starting and finishing at Morston. We cycled just over 60 km and took in 22 parish churches plus a host of other ‘religious establishments’ which cluster around the Walsinghams.

The Route

The Churches

All Saints Morston, St Andrew & St Mary Langham, St Margaret Saxlingham, St Andrew Field Dalling, All Saints Bale, St Martin Hindringham, St Andrew Thursford, All Saints Kettlestone, St Andrew Little Snoring, St Mary Great Snoring, All Saints East Barsham, Assumption West Barsham, All Saints North Barsham, St Giles Houghton St Giles, St Mary Little Walsingham, St Peter Great Walsingham, All Saints Wighton, All Saints & St Mary Magdalene Warham, St Mary Binham, All Saints Cockthorpe and St John the Baptist Stiffkey. In addition we visited the ‘Slipper Chapel’ & Chapel of the Holy Spirit Houghton St Giles, the old Friary, Anglican Shrine, Chapel of the Annunciation, Holy Souls, St Seraphim (orthodox) Little Walsingham and Holy Annunciation (orthodox) Great Walsingham – quite a day!

The Photos

All Saints, Morston – early morning

St Andrew & St Mary, Langham

St Margaret, Saxlingham

St Andrew, Field Dalling

Interior window detail

All Saints, Bale

St Martin, Hindringham

Interior, showing the off-set ‘weeping’ chancel

Window detail

All Saints, Thursford – more an estate than parish church, with Victorian ‘gothic’ much in evidence

All Saints, Kettlestone (Ketestuna in the Doomsday book) – with a fine octagonal tower

An interesting plaque

St Andrew, Little Snoring – with unusual detached round tower with tiled roof

Royal Arms of James II

St Mary, Great Snoring

Inside – detail of the ornate but slightly dilapidated sedilia

Lovely stained glass

A cluster of three small churches in the Barshams

St Giles, Houghton St Giles

Superb 15th century rood screen

St Mary, Little Walsham – almost completely rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1961

The light & airy interior

St Peter, Great Walsingham

The lovely interior with a feast of 15th century pews – complete with tracery, poppy heads and carved figures

and some interesting stained glass

All Saints, Wighton – the tower collapsed in a winter storm in 1965 and was rebuilt with the help of a Canadian benefactor

Another light, bright interior with an unusual high-level east window

Detail of a Victorian stained glass window – one in a series depicting various saints

The two parish churches of Warham – All Saints and St Mary Magdalene, just half a mile apart

More exquisite medieval glass

The priory church of St Mary, Binham

All Saints, Cockthorpe – unfortunately undergoing major repairs and covered, in parts, with scaffolding

Last church of a long but fascinating day in the company of some fine historic architecture – oh and my brother of course!

St John the Baptist, Stiffkey

Details of the rood screen

Last word, on our final church, must go to Simon Knott whose commentary on Stiffkey contains the following:

‘Stiffkey is most famous, of course, for Harold Davidson, the Rector of Stiffkey from 1906 to 1932, who was defrocked by the Bishop of Norwich on account of the rather glamorous low-life company he kept. Nicknamed ‘Little Jimmy’ as he was only five feet tall, he became a national celebrity. He moved on from wandering in ‘a confused state’ around the back streets of Soho, and exhibited himself in a barrel in Blackpool, before an ill-judged career move into lion-taming resulted in him having his head bitten off. In Skegness, of all places’. 

On Thursday I was back on the bike doing some more historic churches of Norfolk, a county that boasts some 900 – which I’m currently attempting to cycle to and photograph! I based my route on a loop of approximately 50 miles to the south and west of the lovely Georgian market town of Aylsham. I also took the opportunity to visit a couple of churches I’d missed on previous rides.

The Route

The Churches

St Andrew Felmingham, St Lawrence Ingworth, St Michael the Archangel Aylsham, All Saints Marsham, St Boltoph Hevingham, (All Saints Hainford), St Swithin Frettenham, St Peter Crostwick, All Saints Rackheath, St Peter Spixworth, St Mary & St Andrew Horsham St Faith, All Saints Horsford, St Margaret Drayton, St Margaret Felthorpe, St Andrew Attlebridge, St Margaret Swannington, St John the Baptist Alderford, St Faith Little Witchingham, St Mary Great Witchingham, St Mary Reepham with  St Michael Whitwell, St Michael the Archangel Booton, St Agnes Cawston, St Nicholas Brandiston, St Peter Haveringland and St Andrew Blickling

The photos

St Andrew, Felmingham – first of two ‘catch-up’ churches

The exquisite little church of St Lawrence, Ingworth

Interior of St Lawrence

St Michael the Archangel, Aylsham – start of the day’s circular route

All Saints, Marsham – tucked back from the busy A140. Another splendid church with many interesting features – described by Simon Knott, in Norfolk Churches, as ‘outstanding’

The elaborate roof structure of All Saints

Window detail

St Boltoph, Hevingham

All Saints (new church), Hainford – I previously did Hainford old church on Route 5

St Swithin, Frettenham

St Peter, Crostwick

All Saints, Rackheath

Interior of All Saints

St Peter, Spixworth, with it’s very odd ‘off-centre’ tower

St Mary & St Andrew, Horsham St Faith

All Saints, Horsford

Detail of early stained glass window

St Margaret, Drayton

stairway to heaven..

St Margaret, Felthorpe

St Andrew, Attlebridge

St Margaret, Swannington

St John the Baptist, Alderford

St Faith, Little Witchingham

Details of mediaeval wall paintings – taken from outside, through the window!

The Assumption (St Mary), Great Witchingham – undergoing major repair

Detail of the intricate stone and flint exterior

St Michael, Whitwell with the adjoining St Mary Reepham

St Michael and All Angels, Booton

with Gothick interior

St Agnes, Cawston

Interior, with painted rood screen and elaborate roof timbers

St Nicholas, Brandiston

The organ, St Nicholas

St Peter, Haveringland – approached along a former WWII airfield perimeter track

Last church of the day, St Andrew, Blickling

In all I cycled over 90k,  visited 25 historic churches, one Victorian ‘new’ church and a ruin – not a bad day!

On Wednesday, with a favourable forecast of sunshine and a modest breeze, I decided to do some more historic churches, concentrating on a cluster west of North Walsham, to the coast, and north of Stalham – based on a circular route of about 40 miles. On my return journey I took the opportunity to ‘tick off’ a church I’d missed on an earlier ride – in total I cycled 85km and visited 18 churches.

The Route

The Churches

St Peter & St Paul Knapton, All Saints Mundesley, St Margaret Paston, All Saints Edingthorpe, St Andrew Bacton, St Margaret Witton by Walsham, All Saints Crostwight, St Peter Ridlington, All Saints Walcott, St Mary Happisburgh, St Andrew Hempstead, All Saints Lessingham, St Mary East Ruston, St Peter Brunstead, St Nicholas Dilham, St Peter & St Paul Honing, St Nicholas North Walsham and, missing from Route 1, St Margaret Thorpe Market.

The Photos 

St Peter & St Paul, Knapton

Detail of the roof with elaborate fluttering angel supports

All Saints, Mundesley, in the heart of ‘Poppy Land’

The gallery at the west end

St Margaret, Paston

In the chancel, several tombs of the Paston family – who live on through the extensive collection of their letters

Never one to ignore a birding moment – these Whooper Swans, depicted in one of the stained glass windows

All Saints, Edingthorpe, with it’s unusual saxon round tower topped with a medieval hexagonal addition

Inside, extensive 14th century wall paintings

St Andrew, Bacton

And an unusual grave stone – rather Arts and Crafts looking I thought

St Margaret, Witton by Walsham

All Saints, Crostwight, with it’s unusual tiled tower roof  – tucked away down a grass track

St Peter, Ridlington

Inside, an interesting fragment of medieval? glass

All Saints Walcott

St Mary, Happisbugh, a huge church perched on the cliff edge

The light and spacious interior, decorated for a wedding I assume

St Andrew, Hempstead, undergoing extensive renovation to the chancel

Detail of a gargoyle water spout

All Saints, Lessingham – a  lovely wildflower haven

St Mary, East Ruston

A delightful rood screen – the entrance to the chancel guarded by two carved lions

St Peter, Brunstead

St Nicholas, Dilham – re-built in the 1930’s, with little of real interest, except perhaps it’s isolated location

St Peter and St Paul, Honing

Interior of St Nicholas, North Walsham – the exterior is currently covered in scaffolding!

Finally, missed during my very first Norfolk churches cycle tour – St Margaret of Antioch, Thorpe Market

I’d been thinking for some time that I must get back on my bike and do a few more Norfolk churches, when I bumped into a guy birdwatching at Cley, who coincidentally shared an interest in historic churches. He told me about a recent visit to Salle church, near Reapham – ‘the cathedral of the fields’ as he described it. That was more than enough of an incentive, so I set to and planned a route, taking in about twenty churches – only problem was that when I added up the distances, it was over fifty miles – um!  Having not been on the bike a great deal since the near-fatal ‘falling off a ladder’ incident last summer, I wasn’t too confident I could make it. I decided on a compromise, I’d cadge a lift with Jane to Holt, and get her to give me a lift back once I’d finished! Wednesday was my best ‘weather window’,  so by 10.00 I was peddling my way to the first church on my itinerary of 19 churches and two ruins, located roughly in the triangle between the A148 and the B1149, south west of Holt. As usual with these excursions  there was rather a ‘mixed bag’ of ecclesiastical offerings – but I did find some real hidden gems and the ‘cathedral of the fields’ was truly awesome!

The Route:

  The Churches: St Lawrence Hunworth, St Mary Stody, All Saints Thornage, St Mary Sharrington, St Andrew Brinton, St Maurice Briningham, St Mary Burgh Parva, St Edmund Swanton Novers, St Mary Gunthorpe, St Mary Barney, Christ Church and St Mary Fulmodeston, St George (old and new) Hindolveston, St Peter Melton Constable, All Saints Briston, St Andrew Thurning, St Peter & chapel Guestwick, St Andrew Wood Dalling, St Peter & St Paul Salle and lastly, St Peter & St Paul Heydon.

The photos:

First of the churches, St Lawrence, Hunworth A long shot of St Mary, Stody Detail of the ‘clean’ roof timbers of St Mary, Stody Exterior of All Saints, Thornage Stained glass window detail, All Saints, Thornage St Mary, Sharrington Close-up of a carved stone corbel – widely acknowledged to be amongst the best preserved in England St Andrew – centre of the attractive Georgian village of Brinton  The fine entrance door with a rustic sundial which pre-dates the porch Close-up of the sundial An example of some of the fine 16th century wood carving The entrance gate and Old Rectory garden approach to St Maurice, Briningham St Maurice, Briningham Window detail with Easter flowers Ancient and modern – St Mary, Burgh Parva. The ‘tin’ church was erected as a temporary measure to accommodate the growing population of Melton Constable, following the arrival of the railway around 1903 Tucked away from the village, on this ancient site, St Edmund, Swanton Novers St Mary, Gunthorpe The parish church of Barney – St Mary  The ‘not so ancient’ Christ Church, Fulmodeston which replaced the derelict St Mary’s Another ‘modern’ replacement church at Hindolveston – both churches dedicated to St George St Peter, the estate church of Melton Hall Interior detail of All Saints, Briston – note that the Chancel is at a noticeable angle to the Nave A three hundred year old metal cello, built by the local blacksmith, and played regularly for Sunday services The truly remarkable little church of Thurning. The elaborate wooden interior came from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1823, including a three-decker pulpit and a string of box pews, each designated to a particular local farm or house! St Peter, Guestwick Detail of a delightful contemporary stained glass window Viewed from across the village pond, St Andrew, Wood Dalling With it’s spacious yet sparse interior St Peter & St Paul, Salle – ‘the cathedral of the fields’ – a magnificent church set in a remote corner of Norfolk The vast interior, with detail of the painted rood screen Looking down the Nave to the great West door Another estate church and another St Peter & St Paul, this time it is in the picturesque village of Heydon It was good to be back on the bike after such a long interval and seeking out more secrets of the historic churches of Norfolk. After such an exhilarating day in the saddle it felt rather inappropriate to call Jane for a lift home, so I cycled – a total distance of 78k!