manof2worlds
05-03-2011, 11:12 PM
The sun came out in Norfolk yesterday afternoon and so I took to the road. I came across this little church through a local lady photographer and when I saw her pics of the crypt, I knew I had to get there!!!
When I arrived, the church was locked up tighter than a nun's knickers, but I did see a little notice that stated access to the church was possible calling the local vicar who had the keys. I couldn't resist, he said yes and within 15 minutes, we were on our way into this little derlict church in the middle of the Norfolk countryside.
Here's a bit of bumpf (info gleaned from Evelyn Simak, so thanks to her for that):
The village of Narford in Norfolk was once a community of more than 100 houses, but by 1901, there only 119 inhabitants remaining and that number has halved since that time.
The church of St. Mary's, which is accessed by a grass farm track adjacent to Narford Hall, fell into disuse from the 20th Century onwards finally falling into disrepair when the lead from the roof was stolen. The church saw some restoration work in the year 2000, with the money coming from English Heritage and the Norfolk Churches Trust.
St. Mary's Church has a number of survivng medieval features including a 13th Century double sedilla (window seat with an armrest, quite an unusual feature) in the Chancel, 14th Century aisles and a Clerestory added sometime later. The church saw some extensive restoration during the Victorian times with the tower virtually rebuilt in 1857/58.
There are several plagues and monuments to the family of Narford Hall, the Fountaines, who have been in residence since the 17th Century.
Many thanks to the Reverend Stuart Nairn for so very kindly allowing me access to the church and the crypt.
And so to the pics:
1.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5499252636_4469c0da4e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499252636/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499252636/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
2.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5499259488_98d74346f6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259488/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259488/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
3.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5135/5499259978_18c6b5aa02.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259978/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259978/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
4.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5499260350_fa6633ea62.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499260350/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499260350/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
5.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5093/5499262160_cd96d743a1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262160/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262160/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
6.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5251/5499262970_728a469fa9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262970/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262970/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
7.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5499255874_56ab393cd0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499255874/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499255874/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
8.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5057/5499257028_50f808a37f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499257028/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499257028/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
9.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5096/5499256410_68734d2c11.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499256410/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499256410/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
10.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5499258516_b02e633e2a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499258516/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499258516/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
11. This last one was an accidental shot - I hadn't initialised the settings on the software and was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected result - and I know this won't be to everyone's taste ;-)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5499259030_9912e18414.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259030/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259030/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
When I arrived, the church was locked up tighter than a nun's knickers, but I did see a little notice that stated access to the church was possible calling the local vicar who had the keys. I couldn't resist, he said yes and within 15 minutes, we were on our way into this little derlict church in the middle of the Norfolk countryside.
Here's a bit of bumpf (info gleaned from Evelyn Simak, so thanks to her for that):
The village of Narford in Norfolk was once a community of more than 100 houses, but by 1901, there only 119 inhabitants remaining and that number has halved since that time.
The church of St. Mary's, which is accessed by a grass farm track adjacent to Narford Hall, fell into disuse from the 20th Century onwards finally falling into disrepair when the lead from the roof was stolen. The church saw some restoration work in the year 2000, with the money coming from English Heritage and the Norfolk Churches Trust.
St. Mary's Church has a number of survivng medieval features including a 13th Century double sedilla (window seat with an armrest, quite an unusual feature) in the Chancel, 14th Century aisles and a Clerestory added sometime later. The church saw some extensive restoration during the Victorian times with the tower virtually rebuilt in 1857/58.
There are several plagues and monuments to the family of Narford Hall, the Fountaines, who have been in residence since the 17th Century.
Many thanks to the Reverend Stuart Nairn for so very kindly allowing me access to the church and the crypt.
And so to the pics:
1.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5499252636_4469c0da4e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499252636/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499252636/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
2.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5499259488_98d74346f6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259488/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259488/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
3.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5135/5499259978_18c6b5aa02.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259978/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259978/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
4.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5499260350_fa6633ea62.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499260350/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499260350/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
5.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5093/5499262160_cd96d743a1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262160/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262160/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
6.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5251/5499262970_728a469fa9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262970/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499262970/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
7.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5499255874_56ab393cd0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499255874/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499255874/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
8.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5057/5499257028_50f808a37f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499257028/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499257028/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
9.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5096/5499256410_68734d2c11.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499256410/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499256410/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
10.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5499258516_b02e633e2a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499258516/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499258516/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr
11. This last one was an accidental shot - I hadn't initialised the settings on the software and was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected result - and I know this won't be to everyone's taste ;-)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5499259030_9912e18414.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259030/)
St. Mary's Church, Narford, Norfolk, U.K. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/manof2worlds/5499259030/) by manof2worlds (http://www.flickr.com/people/manof2worlds/), on Flickr