Creake Abbey

I recently visited Creake Abbey a short drive up the road from North Creake, not far from Fakenham in North West Norfolk. I had visited this site once before and while some of the former monastery buildings and site has since been developed into private residences, it felt oddly strange and eerie as though I was being watched. 

However this time I did not get this feeling, yet it was replaced with another feeling, a feeling of sadness. Now this could be due to the information I had read about the site before hand so I am not saying that I experienced anything paranormal. I owe these feelings to its history and that fact that during 1484 Creake abbey was destroyed after a tragic fire reduced it to nothing more than a large church in physical size. The community at Creake Abbey was wiped out canon by canon until in 1506 the last member of the community the Abbot himself died from the plague.

A little history of Creake Abbey

Creake Abbey went from strength to strength starting life as a small chapel which grew into a hospital and priory. Sir Robert de Narford funded the chapel of St Mary of the Meadows to be built and later extended to become the hospital and priory of St Bartholomew. At this point we know the canons began to follow the rule of St Augustine. 

The priory began to prosper with donations from many generous benefactors such as King Henry III by bestowing the title of abbey onto the complex in 1225. However the canons were unaware that this prosperity would not last and in 1484 tragedy befell that abbey when it was gutted by a fire which ripped through the building reducing the complex to a mere shell of it former glory. Requests were made to fund the rebuilding programme at the site. King Richard III made donations yet these were not enough to rebuild its prosperity especially when further tragedy fell on the abbey in 1506. One by one the canons died from the plague with the abbot being the final inhabitant left also died from the plague in 1506

My feelings on the site

As I strolled around the site I found it tranquil yet also a feeling of sadness fell over me which as I mentioned earlier I attributed to the information I read on the boards dotted around. I got a sense of the 'good' Sir Robert and Lady Alice tried to accomplish by founding this abbey and hospital and also the glory that this site must of radiated in its heyday. 

However a feeling of uncertainty flooded me as I approached some of the original features due to their new and current use. In the photos below you will see the piscinas that were once used to wash the vessels used in daily services are now filled with 'offerings' such as candles, Christian psalms and texts along with stones scribed with messages such as 'RIP Uncle.' I found this to be comforting that people are still using the site as a place of remembrance but also oddly strange as both times I have visited I have been the only person there. 

I would certainly recommend a visit to the site to see what feelings you receive from such as place and while you are there use the benches dotted about to pause and reflect and take in the beauty of nature around you, listening to the birds singing as they wing about in the sky.

Just around the corner is a delightful cafe and craft shops which are also well worth a visit.

Background research and reading credited to English Heritage available at www.english-heritage.org.uk

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.

St Mary's Haddiscoe

So here we have St Mary's Haddiscoe, and what an amazing treasure this is. I was told about this church by a family member and so decided when out that way one day to take a look. As I approched it, it sat atop the hill like a beacon of peace and hope to all around it.

As I mentioned above St Mary's sits on a hill and when you approach it, it looks very impressive with its round tower and checkerboard pattern around the top. From reading the information in the church itself, it is belived the tower and almost certainly the base dates from the Saxon period.

As you approach the doorway, their is a stone carving depicting possibly a saint. Whoever it is, the carving is very impressive giving some idea as to the wealth or pride this parish had for their faith.

Again inside this church does not cease to amaze with the remains of wall paintings that are still visible today. The carved stonework continues throughout the building and it is very impressive how decorative this church is. The ironwork on the door into the church made me feel like I was entering a building from Lord of the Rings, an elven house or a Gondorian hall.

Again the clerstory windows beautifully shaped, reminding me of a four leaved clover.

When I visited Haddiscoe church, it was a bright, sunny day which made the building ooze with grandness but not in a pompous way. It showed how much pride the parishioners had for their place of worship. Even though the main road runs very close to the bottom of the hill, the church and the churchyard around it was very peaceful. I could have spent hours just wandering the site, enjoying the tranquility. It was a place of pure peace and beauty.

It is clear to see that this church is still a beacon to all as it is well maintained and cared for and is still in use for regular worship.

 

Wymondham Abbey

Having lived in Norfolk my whole life and having driven past the abbey and Wymondham several times I had never actually visited the Abbey before. So back in 2013 I finally made it to the Abbey and had a wander around both inside and outside the building. It is hard to believe that Norfolk would have such a large Benedictine Abbey just under 10 miles from the Benedictine Monastary, now Norwich Anglian Cathedral, in Norwich. This can be answered fairly easily. Firstly Wymondham was both an Abbey plus a parish church and secondly it started life as a priory.

Wymondham Abbey as a priory

Wymondham Abbey started its spiritual journey as a priory, a dependant upon the Benedictine Abbey of St Albans. The Abbot at St Albans, Richard d'Aubigny, was uncle to William D'Aubigny the founder of the priory at Wymondham. It was founded in 1107 and originally dedicated to St Mary the Virgin and St. Alban the Martyr. It was not until 1448 that Wymondham priory became an Abbey as the complex grew and became more important.

When first built the priory was built on a large and very grand scale with the nave being 12 bays long. It is commented that the original nave was a scaled down version of the nave at Norwich Cathedral. Like Norwich Cathedral, the Abbey at Wymondham was faced with Limestone from Caen, Normandy, France. The stone was shipped from Caen to Wymondham.

The Abbey remained in use until the dissolutions of the monasteries in 1538 at which point it was closed and parts of it demolished and the stone sold for re-use elsewhere leaving the present day church building.

Wymondham Abbey as a parish church - Then and Now

There is evidence to show us that when originally built the abbey was cruciform in shape with a central tower and twin towers at the west end.The central tower however was rebuilt in 1376 and was replaced by the now ruined octagonal tower. This tower held the monk's bells.

In 1447 the twin west towers were replaced by a taller single tower which would contain the bells of the townspeople. As mentioned at the start of this entry the abbey began life as not only a priory but also a parish church which means the building was divided and shared between the monks and the townspeople. The north aisle and the nave as they still do today served the townspeople as the parish church, however during its time as a priory and abbey it caused many dissputes between both parties.

For more information about Wymondham Abbey head over to www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk/

I enjoyed my first visit to Wymondham abbey. As I strolled around the buildings and the grounds I felt at ease and very peaceful there. It has a great feeling of religion there similar to the feeling you get when you enter Norwich Cathedral or the Shrine at Walsingham in Norfolk. The building is highly impressive especially the alter screen and the stone carvings throughout the building. I would recommend a visit and will not doubt take myslelf there again for another visit or some peaceful contemplation.