St Germain, Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk
In 2005, I might written: The setting of this lovely church is quite different from that of its close to neighbours Wiggenhall St Mary and Wiggenhall St Peter, for listed here the starkness of the fens is softened by a fairly village, the pub standing to the north of the church and a village sq. with a store and previous houses over and above that. The proximity of the church to the river is once more disguised by the levee banking institutions created up to protect the land now that the river stage is so much greater than that of the region by which it rolls. Even so, a number of of the residences have markers to display how large the floods have arrive, higher than I am as not long ago as 1953.
In quite a few methods, St Germain is a common East Anglian church with aisles, a clerestory and an before tower the tower would be very inconspicuous if it was not for the most sophisticated best phase with battlements and enchanting spires like a fairy castle. These are echoed by the sanctus bell turret at the other stop of the nave.
The aisles prolong into the chancel, and that to the north has a gabled roof, culminating at the east stop in a cross on the top. The perspective of St Germain from the east is pretty satisfying. This church is as feminine as St Mary is masculine, but she is a rather shabby aged woman, propped up by massive 18th century buttresses on the south aspect, and the purple brick Tudor south porch crumbling to destroy.
The Wiggenhalls are synonymous with some of the ideal late medieval woodwork in England. Throughout the Ouse at St Mary, there is assortment immediately after array of benches of the optimum high quality, but I had felt it instead sombre and museum-like. St Germain is pretty different below, the carvings are quirky and entire of daily life, which implies that they are by distinctive palms. In the medieval service provider ports of the Ouse delta, it is pretty possible that services like carving had been acquired in from outside, so what we have below are almost certainly two neighbouring parishes competing to outdo every single other.
The medieval benches sort the two central ranges in the nave. Most of those in the aisles are Victorian copies, but superior types. The key bench finishes deal with into the central walkway. As at St Mary, they consist of a significant figure in a market, two scaled-down figures or scenes on both facet above, and the total good deal surmounted by an sophisticated poppyhead.
On the south side, the upper matter is the 7 Lethal Sins. The sin is depicted on the left hand facet, with an angel on the suitable hand side indicating the sin. Each and every sin scene is established in the mouth of a large fish representing the jaws of hell. The surviving scenes, from the west, are Lust, Gluttony, Avarice, Anger and Pride. Sloth and Envy are ruined, despite the fact that one survives as a stump. Pleasure is ruined, but the many others are in wonderful situation. The figures in the niches are Apostles.
On the north aspect are incomplete sections of various sets. First of all, the 7 sacraments of the Catholic Church. The Sins and the Sacraments have been well-known topics in the 14th and 15th generations, at a time when the Church was attempting to boost Catholic orthodoxy in the confront of community superstitions and abuses. The essential for this experienced been the soaring to prominence of a new center-class right after the outdated estates had been broken up in the wake of the Black Dying. They had been most worried that their souls need to be prayed for, particularly in the function of a unexpected dying. Their bequests that built their mark on the imaginations of their parishes reworked the church buildings of jap England. In time, this will need for control would guide to an embracing of the new large concept commencing to consider condition on the continent – protestantism. But that was nevertheless in the potential.
Also on this facet are seated figures that are possibly the Evangelists. There is also a smaller choice of carved animals, most of which are silent, area photographs of everyday creatures, though there is a super pig-like dragon.
There are two fonts a fairly sturdy 19th century stone 1 on marble pillars, and its medieval predecessor relegated to the ground in the south aisle. The north chancel aisle is pleasingly cost-free of clutter, making it possible for that white Fenland gentle to spill across it in nearly a Dutch way. The rood stair turns inside of the chancel arch, and once again is pleasingly shabby. The Jacobean pulpit however has its hourglass stand, and a few of evangelical banners (we are in the Diocese of Ely, right after all) include a touch of colour.
I began this account by commenting on the gloom of the chancel, but I ought to say that there is a darkish richness here, completely Victorian with colored wrought-iron altar rails and major wooden panelling. I am happy the entire church is just not like this, but it delivers an exciting contrast with the medieval glories of the nave. St Germain was Bishop of Paris, and this is the only church in East Anglia that has him as its perseverance. It is fitting that it should be this kind of a particular area.
Posted by Simon Knott on 2016-09-11 23:53:41
Tagged: , Wiggenhall , St , Germain , Germans , Norfolk , East Anglia , church , churches
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