Churches of Northeast Norfolk - Acle, Trunch and Paston

Our latest foray to buy books took us to the area of the Norfolk Broads, a low inland area dotted with interconnected shallow lakes (the Broads) which are the result of medieval peat digging on a large scale. Now they are a place for boating holidays. One of Arthur Ransome's 1930s children's novels was set here.





We only went to Acle because I misread the Satnav but it turned out to be worth it anyway. The font is quite a gem, though parts have had to be repaired.








There are symbols of the Evangelists with bits of the original paint.










And Wild Men.








This Virgin and child has had its heads replaced.







Part of a painted wall inscription probably dating from the Black Death around 1349. The words in Latin bewail the tyranny of death. It was discovered in 1912.



The Rood Screen.







The war memorials are unlike any others I have ever seen. For both the First and Second World Wars they consist of a framed group of photos. It is far more personal than a marble tablet with just an inscribed list of names.





Paston has a special place in English history as it was from here that the Paston Letters, between members of the family were written, giving such an insight into ordinary life of the time. Now it consists of a miserable group of houses, a huge medieval barn, and a church, virtually surrounded by a gas pumping station which processes gas from the North Sea.

The church has a couple of Paston tombs.








However, its chief characteristic is the damp, well illustrated in the foreground of this picture. What appears to be a green floor covering on either side of the central carpet is in fact a red tile floor, covered in green algae. Obviously the site is low and damp, but the congregation don't help matters by having no visible ventilation in the place, so it is no wonder it never dries out.




Trunch has one of the most beautiful medieval font covers in the land.











There is also an original rood screen. This picture was taken from the altar end, facing west towards the font. The strange white object amongs the pews are display boards on which they were about to fix pictures for an art exhibition.





The front of the rood screen with the usual disfigured paintings of saints.