St Andrews Church, Thursford, Norfolk

Unfortunately when I visited this site, the church was in the middle of a maintainance program which meant that is was covered with scaffolding, however I was able to stroll around the exterior. I have come to the conclusion that I need to revisit the site to take a look inside.

As I walked through the graveyard it was a very pleasant and quiet place to be, you approach the church from a little dirty track which leads to Thursford Hall, however level with the church you find a sign, advising you to go no further as it is private property. 

It is easy to tell that the church has been rebuilt over its lifetime as the current church has a very Victorian feel to it, with records suggesting that it was rebuilt in the 1860's. This would have been completed to the taste and requirements of the Chadd family who lived at Thursford hall, just south of the Church.

St Andrews church houses the Chadd family chapel in the south transept with the family pew sitting above their mausoleum. This section of the church is situated over 2 levels.

Background reading credited to Simon Knott of www.norfolkchurches.co.uk

All Saints Weybourne (Weybourne Priory)

On my travels around Norfolk I came across this site while using the North Norfolk coastal road. The signs on the gates that lead to this church give it the name of God's acre. As I walked through the graveyard I loved the peace and tranquility it provided even though its close proximity to the coastal road.

The church notice board gives the name of this Church as All Saints, Weybourne however this site has been more than just a parish church. A church has been on this site since Saxon times, where evidence of a Saxon cruciform church can be found in the north of the chancel, in the form of a tower. Other features can be found in arcade between the current nave and the north aisle as it occupies the site of the Saxon church.

The priory was formed between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century by Sir Ralph Mainwaring as a house of Augustinian canons. The priory was a subordinate to the priory of West Acre. It was dissolved in 1314.

The remains of the priory include large sections of wall such as that of the north wall of the choir, walls of the presbytery. A section of the north transept can be seen, some of the north range is still visable along with walls of the cloisters.

St Margaret's Church, Thorpe Market

So here is St Margaret's church at Thorpe Market which is just over 4 miles south of Cromer on the North Norfolk coast. I had seen this church several times over a period of months and finally got round to visiting. As I approached the building through the church yard I could see that while this church was old it was not from the medieval period which after some reading I found to be accurate.

St Margaret's church dates from the 1700's being built in 1796 on the instruction from the 1st Lord Suffield. It was built under the Gothic revival style and is one of the first buildings of this style of architecture to be built in Norfolk. St Margaret's church although built in 1796 is built on the same site as an older medieval church.

Although I was unable to take a look inside the church during my visit, I plan to visit again soon on a day when the church is open so I can visit inside instead.

St Edmunds Memorial Chapel Hunstanton

Built as a memorial chapel to King Edmund by the Monks of Bury in 1272 to comemorate the landing place of Edmund. It was continually used for worship for around 400 years until it fell into ruin and neglect. Edmund supposedly landed at this point in 855 AD.

Little is left of the chapel apart from the south door and wall however there is a peacful garden around the chapel creating a nice little area of relaxtion and transquility near the main cliff top road at Hunstanton. I had been past this wall several times during visits to Hunstanton and one day stopped the car and got out to take a look.

The memorial garden or Garden of rest that is now incorperated into the site was established by Reverend A.A. Toms in 1918 in memory of local men who fell in action during World War 1.

Edmund inherited his kingdom of East Anglia when he was young, he was crowned at Bures in Suffolk. He reigned for several years peacefully however towards the end of his reign he had to defend his kingdom against the invading Danes, he was regretably defeated during at battle at Thetford where he was taken prisoner.

Legends says that Edmund died as a martyr at the age of 29 having been shot by arrows while he was bound to a tree on 20th November 870AD. The location of his death is said to be Hoxne in Suffolk. 

He was canonised as King and Martyr becoming the first patron saint of England after being entombed in Bury St Edmunds where his shrine became a place of pilgrimage.

Thetford Priory

An impressiveset of remains of a Cluniac monastic house. It is a highly important monastary in East Anglia having been founded by Roger Bigod, the first Earl of Norfolk in 1103.

Thetford Priory is dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Our Lady as she is said to have appeared to local residents. The priory became a magnet to pilgrims due to a statue of Our Lady of Thetford having a hollow in the head to house saints' relics.

Like many other monasteries Thetford Priory seccumbed to the eventual closure caused by the dissolution of the Monasteries. Even though the Monastery housed many tombs from the early Tudor dynasty officials including several members of the Howard family including that of Henry FitzRoy (1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset) 

Having visited this site on a sunny day, it was lovely to leisurly walk around the ruins investigating. The overall size of the complex would suggest that it was a very rich and powerful monastic house at the height of its use. The lower walls of the church and cloister can be seen along with an extensive and impressive shell of the Prior's lodging. Unfortunately during my visit I was not able to get through to the reportedly almost complete 14th century gatehouse as the pathway appears to run through a private garden. However I plan to return to see if I can approach the gatehouse from the otherside during a visit to the Holy Sepulchre Church which is about 300 metres away to the south.

It is reported that the Priory at Thetford is haunted however I had no such feeling during my visit.

Today the site is open to the public and is under the care of English Heritage.