| |
|
St
Botolph, Limpenhoe
 |
|
The
small churches and tightly packed parishes of
south-east Norfolk are a reminder that this was
one of the first places in the British Isles
settled by the enthusiastic Angles and Saxons.
There have been churches here for 1300 years or
more, and when the manorial estates were
consolidated by the Normans at the end of the
eleventh century, the churches were generally
rebuilt. And yet, the area has never been
terribly wealthy since, certainly not in
comparison with the rest of East Anglia, and so
there are a fair number of small, substantially
Norman churches, some of them stunningly lovely.
Not far from here are Hales, Heckingham and
Hardley, three of the loveliest Norman churches
in England. After the Normans, the next
great age of church rebuilding in south-east
Norfolk happened in the second half of the
nineteenth century, and so it was that St Botolph
was almost completely rebuilt in about 1880. The
lower part of the tower survives from the 15th
century, but there is one reminder of the true
glory days of Limpenhoe, a beautiful Norman
doorway, now filled in, on the north side.
Otherwise, the harshly knapped flints are stark,
a reminder of hundreds of non-conformist chapels
built at about the same time, but this is
ameliorated by a beautiful east window, and an
elegant openwork porch.
|
The
architect was AS Hewitt of Norwich. In the 20th century,
he would become well known for designing banks, but here
in the 1880s we find him often in east Norfolk
renovating, restoring and rebuilding.
The
interior is, as you would expect, that of a simple, rural
19th century church, a sacramental space to replace the
preaching house which the original building had no doubt
become. Despite the clear glass, the serried ranks of
pitch pine benches create a rather gloomy feeling, a
tunnel-like effect from the single run of nave and
chancel together. However, there is some vivid glass in
the east window, depicting the Baptism of Christ by St
John the Baptist, and the commissioning of St Peter by
Christ, with St James and St John looking on. The Baptism
scene looks disconcertingly as if John the Baptist is
washing Christ's hair under a shower - I wonder who the
artist was?
| At
the time of the rebuilding, there were two
churches in the parish, this one and another at Southwood, half a
mile or so away. The tapestry on the wall is said
to come from Southwood, and I wondered if perhaps
the 13th century Purbeck marble font had come
from there as well, perhaps to replace a battered
Norman tub. Otherwise, all is modern,
simple and seemly. The beautiful banner opposite
the south doorway is one of the loveliest I have
seen, suggesting that at one time the character
of the worship here was rather higher than it
appears to be today. I liked the church too, and
I especially liked its setting along the straggly
deep-cut lane that becomes the village street.
We
came here on the Historic Churches Trust bike
ride day, and it was a pleasure to visit this
little-known building, and be welcomed by the
parishioners on duty. They do a grand job in
caring for it. And this is a beautful part of
East Anglia, off the beaten track and away from
the sound of traffic, a perfect place to walk and
to cycle. It seems a pity, then, that so many of
the churches in this area are kept locked, this
one included.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
