Norfolk, and East Anglia, has the most amazing collection of Churches, mainly medieval and mainly built on the wealth of wool. History tells us the merchants felt that giving money to the churches, the merchant would be prayed for and have a better after life.
I live in a small village mentioned in the Doomsday Book and in 2011 having a population of 785. The village church is grade one listed! Going back Carleton Rode had two Churches, although no one knows exactly where the other one was, it was timber I understand. Today the village also has a Baptist Church which is beautifully ornate on the outside.
There are over 650 Churches in Norfolk - this is the greatest concentration of churches in the world. Whatever your beliefs visiting the churches is a great way to glimpse the best of everyday art and hence life in the past. Many East Anglian Churches that are redundant or at risk structurally are cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust who aim to find novel ways of using the churches so as many people can appreciate them as possible. These churches are often open to the public. (1)
Following the interest in Sandringham Church I though I would write about Huntingfield Church which is in Suffolk. (2)
This is also in a small village and parking is not great but manageable. It has a remarkable ceiling and I thought I had written a post about it but have looked back through this blog and Facebook to no avail. We visited with friends in October 2017. We were just back from Shetland Wool Week and I would have been trying to write my journal from that, then I guess things like making the Christmas Cake got in the way!
This ceiling is even more spectacular than the one at Sandringham, but then Sandringham does have the silver pulpit, altar etc and ceremonial cross!
What is even more remarkable is that the ceiling in Beddingfield was painted by the vicar’s wife laying on her back, between September 1859 - April 1860, yes, just 8 months! Apparently after another three years she painted the nave ceiling. There is no record of her having help with the painting!
I hope you will agree that this is an amazing ceiling and wel worth finding. The church is open 10-4.30 daily (do try and check before visiting) and a toilet has been sympathetically added at the back of the church.
Notes
- The Churches Conservation Trust has a good website showing which churches they care for. Many have a walk in the local area too. Zoom sessions started on Thursday lunchtimes during lockdown with lectures from experts in their field. These are now available on YouTube. https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/
- Huntingfield Church can be found at IP19 0PR
