St Lawrence, Beeston St Lawrence

I had driven past this church several times over a period of a couple of years and thought how intriguing it looked. I felt it deserved a visit, so finally one day I stopped which was difficult to say the least as this church stands on the side of a busy main road. It has no carpark and very little verge to pull onto however there is a little country road about 30 seconds past it which has space for one vehicle to pull into.

I walked back to the church and entered the churchyard from the little gateway that opens onto the small grass verge right beside the main road. I approached the beautiful little church along the rough stone pathway. The gorgeous round tower loomed above me.

I entered the church wish to my amazement was unlocked. The old door swung open and to my surprise I was greeted with very little inside. Some of the pews at the rear of the church has been removed and it appeared some restoration work was being conducted on parts of the floor. It was evident that while still consecrated this building was not longer used for active worship. The walls were all white washed and looked very fresh. The vaulting of the ceiling looked as though the local landowners or benefactors from the near by hall had mirrored the ceiling from one of their ballrooms.

It is a real shame this building is no longer used for regular worship as I think it would make a magical and awe inspiring place to hear hymns ring out in praise of God.

Cathedral of the fields

So it has been over 2 years and 1 month since I last updated the blog so I felt it was about time I did something and add new content. And what better way to kick start the blog again than to introduce you to the Cathedral of the Fields.

The church in question does not hold cathedral status currently and neither has it done in the past, however it gets its nickname from the grand architecture it displays both inside and outside the building.

So what is it actually called?

Well this church is St Michael the archangel and is located at Booton in Norfolk. Only a couple of miles across the fields as the crow flies from Reepham.

A brief history

There has been a church on the site since the medieval period but was remodelled during the 19th century by Reverend Whitwell Elwin. He was not only the parish vicar but also the designer for the new church.

Some of the original features of the building still exist such as the former west wall however they cannot be seen as they have been encased and covered with flint from Elwin's later remodelling. The guidebook, which costs approx. £3 and is available at the church, suggests that several features of the church have been borrowed from other churches or cathedrals from around the country. For example one that is discussed in the guidebook and at Norfolk Churches website (http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/booton/booton.htm) is that of the nave windows. Their design is similar to that of the nave windows at Temple Balsall. Another feature is the west door which can be compared to that of Glastonbury Abbey. The towers, however are fairly unique in design and cannot be compared to any other building within the UK, apart from the minaret-esque slender tower at the west end which rises up above the window falling slightly short in height or its brother tower standing proud either side of it.

Having wandered around inside looking at the various features it had to offer such at the roof, I wandered around the outside of the building. Nothing impressed me more than the priests door, deeply resessed in the wall with grand carved arches surrounding it. The niche above the door, which would have once held a sculpture of an important figure in Christendom, however it is believed that no such sculpture was installed.

While the building is still consecrated and could be used for worship, it is not actively used and is currently under the care of The Churches Conservation Trust.

My Final View

I have visited the site before but never took photos so I am pleased I have visited again and have taken some photos this time around. It is a beautiful church both inside and out with many interesting features to explore. It is well worth a visit to be immersed in such beauty of the church and the countryside around it and to witness how peaceful the location is.

Many thanks goes to Simon Knott of Norfolk Churches for the the background information and reading. Some information contained within this entry has been adapted from material by Simon Knott at http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/booton/booton.htm.

 

All photos displayed on this site unless otherwise stated have been taken by me and copyright belongs to myself.

Panxworth Church

During a drive one afternoon I stumbled across this little church. I decided to go and investigate and found it to be a pleasant little site.

The church at Panxworth is in a ruinous state today yet has only been this way since around 1986. Today just the tower stands which has recently been renovated with new pointing around the flint work of the tower. The nave of the church has since been demolished. It is very easy to see that this church was very small with the nave being up to 50ft long. It is sad to see that this church has fallen into this state but it is also understandable that due to declining numbers of worshippers using churches, this building has become redundant.

There are a few grave stones still in the small church yard and it is fascinating to read them as it gives a glimpse and an insight into the people that lived and worshipped at this church while it was in use.

I found the site very peaceful even though it was very close to the road and surrounded by fields that are worked as arable land. I am also very pleased to see that this church while in a ruined state is still be cared for and protected for future generations to visit.

At the top of the tower (Happisburgh Church)

So today (18th October 2014) I visited Happisburgh and as I entered the village I saw a sign telling me that the church tower was open so I thought what a fantastic opportunity. I of course stoppped to take a look an I am so glad I did. I had visited Happisburgh and the church before however I only managed to take a look around the interior and the exterior of the church. 

St Mary's at Happisburgh stands on top of a hill over looking the village and the fast approaching sea as it gradually eats away and erodes the cliff edging nearer and nearer to the church yard year on year.

So I entered the church to find a man sitting behind a small desk at the bottom of the tower taking the small charge for access to the stairs which was £1. A bargain I thought. He showed me the stairs and warned me to call up as I climbed as their radio system has broken down so he was unable to warn the warden up top the I was coming up.

So I stepped through the door way and started to climb the very narrow spiral staircase. I climbed and climbed what felt like a lifetime, and I was beginning to get slightly panicked as I climbed. I normally do not get worried about heights too much but there were small glass windows in the stairwell on the way up and it felt that I had very quickly left the ground and was very high up, it felt very disorienting.

On my way I saw the bells which were very impressive and finally I came to chamber above the bells where the stone spiral staircase stopped and new memorial metal spiral staircase started which took you up to the roof. Finally I broke through and made it to the to where I saw daylight again. Now when I went up the weather was slightly overcast and slightly breezy but the views were absolutely amazing. For a while it took a while to get used to being up there as the roof was slightly slopped which made it feel like I was falling over when walking around up there.

I am so pleased I went up there to take in these breathtaking views which I have included below. I will gradually and eventually post my photos from my original visit to the church.

So I can post these photos as I eventually made it back down the stairs again which again my heart leapt into my throat as they were very steep and several times I felt I was going to fall over.