RTCS Archive

St Mary, taken by Tony Walsh in 2019.

Taken from Notes & Observations. Eastern Evening News, August 6, 1932

‘The weakest go to the wall.’

Church pews and pew rights – Previous to the Reformation the church services were all performed within the chancel, into which the people were not admitted. They had perforce to congregate in the nave and contrive as best as they could to see what was taking place, being satisfied very often with just a vision of a procession and the low chanting of the priests.

The old and enfeebled could not, of course, stand very long, and for them, here and there, stone seats were placed near the walls for them to sit upon. A splendid example of this is to be seen within the church at Pakefield, for it was from this old practice that the saying arose, “The weakest go to the wall.” Subsequently it became usual for one of the priests on a Sunday to pass out into the nave among the folk gathered there and preach a short sermon or homily. This was greatly appreciated, and very soon the sermon was considered of great importance, crowds flocking to churches to hear the eloquence of the reformed divines, which made a great impression on them.

Sermons of a great length were preached, and it was essential that fixed seats and sometimes galleries should be made for the accommodation of those who gathered around the pulpit. Local craftsmen vied with one another in their carving of bench-ends, producing very often marvellous results and beautiful workmanship, which in many churches, still remains to be seen. This would, of course, mean expense, and it can be understood that where a family, or an individual, or a body of people, bore the cost of a particular seat they should within reasons be allowed to sit there.  A R Bishop.

Taken from Notes & Observations. Eastern Evening news, July 23, 1932  The ‘north side’ of Churches

In many parts of Norfolk and Suffolk there still remains sufficient evidence to show how marked was the aversion of former generations to the north side of a church or  churchyard, and how inbred were the ideas that the north quarter was the home of evil demons.  It was not uncommon to find that the area devoted to burials on the north side of a church is smaller in size than on the south side, and more often than not neglected in upkeep, while the church building itself on this side seems to have been forgotten altogether. In architectural detail the north is inferior to the south side, but apart from superstition the wisdom of the old church builder is seen in this.

That ordinarily the windows of the north side of the nave were fewer in number and smaller in size than those on the south side, to avoid as much as possible the entrance of the cold north winds into the church. This applies to the chancel, which had very few openings on the north side and sometimes none at all. Near Great Yarmouth, Clippesby, Mautby, Gunton and Billockby are examples.

Till the advent of the Perpendicular style, with its vast window spaces, for the holding of large areas of painted glass, the east window was on a smaller scale than is now usual, and in Early English churches the sill was high enough to set the draughts above the head of the officiating priest; Strumpshaw is a case in point.

It would seem a natural desire that in regard to burials these should take place on the south side, for the greater number of churches have their main porch or other entrance on this side. The graves of those buried would therefore be seen by succeeding generations of worshippers, and prayers offered up for the repose of their souls by those frequenting the parish church. With very few exceptions, the priest’s doors open to the “sunny south” and here and there the markings of an old time or sun dial, can be seen on the stone work.

For burial purposes it was long held that the north side of a churchyard was appropriated to the burial of unbaptised infants, suicides and excommunicated persons, and thus in time it became to be called “the wrong side of the church.” Many north doorways have been blocked up, but where they are in use it is often only to permit the passage of a corpse into the churchyard for burial. Such a practice prevails at Great Yarmouth Parish Church, an en passant a glance upward at the church fabric thereabout shows how scant has been the attention given to it. A R Bishop.

Taken from Notes and Observations. Eastern Evening News. October 11, 1930.

Norwich thatched churches and other buildings – Eaton, St Andrew’s, is the last of the Norwich churches retaining its thatched roof, but there were others, as I discovered when looking through some pictures by James Sillett, published in 1828. Reference to Blomefield yielded further information, which is summarised

St Peter de Southgate – The chancel was thatched in Blomefield’s time (1744) but was tiled in 1828.

St Etheldred’s had its nave and south porch thatched in 1744, but the porch was tiled in 1828.

St Julian’s chancel was still thatched in 1828.

St John Timberhill – This previously thatched nave was tiled by 1828.

All Saints had its north vestry, nave and chancel thatched in 1744, but Sillett shows only the chancel thatched, his view having been taken from the south.

These are all the intra-mural churches that were thatched at that time, but in the hamlets, Heigham (St Bartholomew) which then (1744) consisted of nave, chancel, tower, north porch and aisle, had a thatched nave, but this appears to have been covered by lead by 1828, and at Eaton “the north porch, nave and chancel are all thatched.” It is noticeable that the city churches mentioned are (or were) all in the King Street and Ber Street area.

This may be due in some measure to the serious fires that occurred in April and June 1508, and laid waste the north-west part of the city, so that in 1509 the Court forbade any new houses to be thatched.

The Black Tower (alias the Snuff Tower, on Carrow Hill, was crowned by a conical thatched roof, until on July 7, 1833, a fireball fell upon it, and the building was burnt out.

There are, it has been stated, 16 thatched houses in Norwich. I have seen the Boar’s Head, St Stephen’s, the old “Barking Dickey” in Westlegate, and a building in All Saints Passage; the old “Rosemary” in St Mary’s; a house in St Swithin’s Alley; and two in Eaton village.

In an account of Kett’s Rebellion published in 1859, is an illustration of Becket’s Chapel in Wymondham, which seems intended to show a thatched roof. When was the thatched removed? – L M

A further note on thatched churches by Claude J W Messent – November 26, 1933 in Notes & Observations, Eastern Evening News.

It may be interesting to set on record a list of Norfolk churches with thatched roofs

1 Acle (nave only) (RT); 2 Beachamwell St Mary (straw thatch?) (RT); 3 Beighton (nave only); 4 Billockby (chancel only, nave in ruins); 5 Old Buckenham (straw thatch?); 6 Burgh St Margaret (with dormer window above porch on south side); 7 South Burlingham; 8 Claxton (nave only); 9 Coltishall; 10 Drayton (nave only); 11 Eaton, St Andrew

12 Edingthorpe (nave only) (RT); 13 Filby (nave only); 14 Hales (with semi-circular apse to chancel) (RT); 15 Hassingham (RT); 16 Heckingham (with apse as Hales) (RT); 17 Hempstead (near Stalham); 18 Horsey (RT); 19 Horsford (chancel only); 20 Hoveton St Peter; 21 Ingworth (base of fallen round tower has recently been covered with thatched roof, which is semi conical in shape) (RT); 22 Irstead; 23 Lessingham; 24 Mautby (RT); 25 Ormesby St Michael (Little Ormesby); 26 Paston (nave only); 27 Poringland (chancel only) (RT); 28 Potter Heigham; 29 Ranworth (chancel only); 30 Reedham (nave only); 31 Rockland St Peter, near Attleborough (straw thatch? nave only) (RT); 32 Salhouse; 33 Scoulton (nave only, straw thatch?)

34 Seething (nave only); 35 Sizeland, near Loddon; 36 Sloley (chancel only); 37 West Somerton (nave only) (RT); 38 Stockton, near Beccles (very elaborate pattern) (RT); 39 Swafield (nave only); 40 Taverham (chancel and nave thatched but not south aisle) (RT); 41 Thurlton; 42 Thurne; 43 Thurton, near Loddon (very elaborate pattern); 44 Thwaite, St Mary (very elaborate pattern); 45 Tivetshall St Margaret (chancel only, straw?) 46 Waxham; 47 Woodbastwick. The following week, another correspondent added St Andrew’s, Trowse, which has a thatched chancel.

There are 13 round tower (RT) churches listed – editor’s addition.

Summer 2019 church tour

Members met in the Waveney Valley, reports Stuart Bowell.

Our summer tour season began in the Waveney Valley at Brome St Mary. Munro Cautley’s summary makes interesting reading: “This church is a remarkable example of Victorian taste, having been practically rebuilt in every know style of English Gothic from the Norman period onwards.” However, the fine south porch is medieval and the Cornwallis tombs are of interest. Thomas Cornwallis was Comptroller of the Royal Household during the reign of Mary Tudor. Brome has recently received a grant from the Society towards the cost of repairing the tower roof.

Syleham St Margaret is blessed by its setting in the Waveney marshes. The tower here is circular for the full height of 48 feet. Since our last tour here, the name of Lt Col Leeder has been added to the existing memorial to his wife. He was a great supporter of the church and friend to our Society, hosting our visits on more than one occasion. Syleham has also recently received a grant from us.

Weybread St Andrew also has a tower circular for the full height of 53 feet and a good south porch, with some flushwork. Botanists in our party were excited by a large display of birthwort, a very rare plant, nearby. Inside much is Victorian including a huge painting on the west wall of Christ the King. An interesting memorial here is to Sergeant Alfred Ablett, the first Suffolk recipient of the Victoria Cross, for bravery in the Crimean War.

Into north Norfolk in June

In June we visited the North Norfolk coastal area. Burnham Norton St Margaret stands in a commanding position. The tower is early, from the Saxo-Norman period, circular for the full height of 55 feet. There is so much of interest in the church; a sturdy Norman font, a fine screen of 1458 and a wineglass pulpit with the donors, John and Katherine Godale depicted on two of the panels. An unusual feature near the north door may once have been an oven to bake wafers for the Mass. There are two sets of Royal Arms, one dated 1697 and the other from the Reign of George IV. Captain Woodgate of the Cutty Sark, is buried in the churchyard.

Burnham Deepdale St Mary’s tower is circular for its full height of 41 feet. Many treasures are to be found in this church. Visitors come to see the Labours of the Seasons font and wonder at its carvings. There is much old glass, but perhaps the greatest treasure on display is a priest’s vestment, a chasuble, dating from the 15^th century – a rarity indeed. Burnham Deepdale has recently received a grant from the Society.

Titchwell St Mary’s tower is circular for its full height of 40 feet 6 inches. Above this is a lead covered spirelet, topped with a cross. Work on the church was carried out in 1902, when the screen was also restored. An unusual object found here is a free- standing pedestal font, perhaps in use when the original font had ‘gone missing’.

All members are welcome to join the Society’s tours. For details of the promgramme, see Events.