St Mary, Wiggenhall St Mary, Norfolk
Simon Jenkins has observed that the churches of the Ouse delta sort possibly the very best concentration of late-medieval craftsmanship in England. Of course, any cathedral would give them a run for their funds, but you know what he indicates. In this article, there are at the very least a dozen if not nameless and workaday villages with basically great churches, lots of of them replete with wonders in stone and wood. There is remarkably minimal medieval glass, and rarely a wall-portray at all maybe the normal puritanism of the Fen persons dispatched these, but saw a useful use to the benches and the fonts. The major and grandest churches are at Walpole St Peter and Terrington St Clement, but neither are notably whole of treasures. St Peter is a single of the most beautiful architectural documents of the late medieval interval, and St Clement is total of gentle and life but right here at Wiggenhall St Mary is the most effective assortment of 15th and 16th century benches in Norfolk, probably in England.
There are four Wiggenhalls: St Peter, St Germans, St Mary and St Mary Magdalene, now recognised just as Magdalen. All of the villages are compact, Magdalen being the most important, and are typically approached up narrow straight roads in the fens. All 4 churches sit shut to the banking institutions of the Ouse – these banking companies have been lifted, simply because the drinking water amount is now increased than the bordering land, but the towers still sort startling landmarks for any boat heading upstream from Lynn. St Peter is a wreck, and St Mary is now in the care of the Church buildings Conservation Rely on. It sits to the north of Magdalen with a few of substantial residences for company.
As with all CCT church buildings, St Mary is perfectly-held. The rendering of the nave and chancel has not too long ago been renewed and painted. They disguise a key of this church, the total of brick applied in its development. The only expanse of brick nevertheless obvious is the higher aspect of the tower. The squatness of the tower belies its top, and stair turrets lean deliciously into it in the north-west and south-west corners, coming out as castellated turrets at the major.
So, we could suppose that the best 3rd of the tower is present-day with the late medieval rebuilding – but the builders saved the Early English doorway on each sides of the church. The south porch is large, but practical there is very little of the elaborate decoration you obtain at Walpole St Peter. Also practical is the substantial late Victorian restoration by George Street – all the roofs are his.
You move inside of to an interior that is at when massive but a little claustrophobic. This is due to the fact of the sheer volume of woodwork – array following range of strong, long, benches with substantial bench finishes. Street’s crown-posted roof appears to be to press down to fulfill them without their pierced and traceried backs they would come to feel oppressive. The dust in the air and the murky mild from the east window gives a feeling, just for a moment, of getting underwater. There is a stillness, as if we have disturbed something that experienced extensive remained undisturbed, as if we were being the first people to enter here for ages.
The nave was crammed with benches in two phases to start with in the mid-15th century, and then yet again in the early 16th century. The more recent benches are those in the aisles. Benches are a symptom of what I have arrive to think of as a proto-Reformation perhaps a century just before the serious one particular, there is a important change in the English Church from personal devotions to corporate acts of worship. This appears to be to have been partly a response to the Black Dying, and a focus of the thoughts on generating it by way of purgatory the breaking up of the previous estates brought forth a new wealthy center class, who had been most concerned that their souls really should be prayed for. Section of their project was a reinforcing of orthodox Catholic doctrine through the 15th century, extensive perpendicular home windows replaced the wall paintings, filling the churches with light, and the good roods had been lifted up to concentrate people’s minds on the central doctrine of the Christian religion. Elements of Catholic doctrine – the sacraments, the performs of mercy, the fatal sins – appeared in glass and stone. Benches stuffed the rebuilt churches – no more time have been there shadowy corners where outdated women could notify their beads, and the plowman his Paternoster, as Mass progressed. The very first pulpits appeared, and with the coming of the pulpit the Priest remaining his chancel and entered the area of the folks, having it about. All eyes ended up mounted on him now.
The bench ends at Wiggenhall St Mary are complex. Tiers occur each individual facet flanking a large area of interest, which is made up of a figure. The tiers each and every rise to a next and 3rd determine, which are often connected. Above all rises the sound poppyhead. You can invest an fulfilling half hour just pottering about striving to discover them. Many are in Tudor dress, and are seated in daily attitudes. Some carry rosaries. Some are Saints, other people represent animals, Labours of the Months, virtues or Christian symbols.
Considerably in distinction, there is an stylish Laudian font address with slender pillars, and the day 1624. I wondered if the pelican in her piety on major was a later on addition. As at various area churches, there is an early-16th century latten lectern, an eagle supported at the toes by 3 minor grinning lions. The Jacobean pulpit nonetheless retains its hourglass stand. Smatterings of medieval glass are in the higher lights of the north aisle home windows. The royal arms are dated 1791, and inform us that the churchwarden that year was J SUTTRBY.
There is an stylish parclose display in the south aisle which now incorporates the elaborate memorial tomb of Sir Henry Kerville and his spouse. They lie side by facet, palms in pious attitudes of prayer.He died in 1624 most going are the two small figures down below them, just one in swaddling clothing these are their children who died in advance of them.
The east end of the nave was built for peak, for the wonderful rood to draw everyone’s consideration. Probably to enable intensify this, the chancel arch is curiously slim, and there are just 8 panels on the dado of the screen, four figures on each individual aspect flanking the entrance. From the north they are: St Mary of Magdala, St Dorothy, St Margaret, St Scholastica (twin sister of St Benedict), St Catherine, St Barbara, the Blessed Virgin and little one, and St John the Baptist. The chancel is reasonably easy and empty, remaining in its 19th century clothes. The dirty environmentally friendly glass of the east window is overpowering. For a instant, you may well be anyplace. And then you convert back and see individuals extensive ranges of medieval benches again they seriously are most amazing.
A hallmark of Church buildings Conservation Trust church buildings is that they are cleared of litter but that is unattainable in this article, of class, mainly because the clutter is the factor you come to see. They are intriguing, intriguing but this church is curiously lacking in atmosphere, specially if you have just appear from Wiggenhall St Germans or Walpole St Peter. It is lifeless you could be in no question that it is redundant, and now minimal more than a museum.
Posted by Simon Knott on 2016-09-15 18:58:58
Tagged: , Wiggenhall , St , Mary , Norfolk , East Anglia , church
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