Hemblington, Norfolk - All Saints
This isolated church stands in a corner of the parish well away from the village of Hemblington.
Often when churches are located well away from their village it is attributed to the devastation of the Black Death in the mid-14th. century, but in this case the village was abandoned during an outbreak of the plague in the 17th. century. Villagers who survived moved further away from the village centre for safety, and over the following centuries the church was left isolated.
The oldest feature of All Saints is the round west tower, certainly erected no later than 1100. The narrow tower arch and the small windows towards the top of the tower are both indications of late Saxon stonework.
Although the church has Saxon origins the Domesday Book of 1086 makes no mention of a church in Hembington at that time.
The tower houses two bells. The oldest was cast in 1621 by the Brasyer foundry in Norwich. It bears the arms of the city of Norwich and the monogram AB W, for William Brend, the founder, and his wife Alice.
Inside the church Saxon stonework survives in the nave walls, though much of it has been overwhelmed by 14th. and 15th. century rebuilding. Set into the west wall of the nave is a small slab of Barnack stone with a circular hole cut through it. It seems almost certain to have been a lookout hole.
The church is famous for its 15th. century wall painting depicting scenes from the life of St. Christopher. The painting had been painted over but was revealed and partially restored in 1937.
The bowl of the 15th. century painted octagonal font has eight panels of saints, each of them seated, and all but one are very clear. Starting from the west face the figures are,
The Holy Trinity
St. Augustine of Hippo
Edward the Confessor
St. George with his feet resting on a dragon
St. Thomas Becket
St. Barbara
St. Agatha
An unknown figure, possibly an Apostle
The font stem is also octagonal, with eight carvings in niches depicting,
St. Leonard
St. Catherine
St. Stephen
St. Citha
St. Lawrence
St. Margaret of Antioch,
A monk
A robed figure
The restoration of 1937 has faithfully reproduced what the font would have looked like when it was new.
The church has been part of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Churchyard Conservation Scheme for over 15 years. The churchyard is carefully managed to include two conservation areas which are allowed to grow and flower into a wildflower meadow, comprising of primroses, pignut, oxeye daisy and meadow buttercups.
The church gained Grade: I listed building status on 25th. September 1962. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 228492).
Hemblington, Norfolk - All Saints
This isolated church stands in a corner of the parish well away from the village of Hemblington.
Often when churches are located well away from their village it is attributed to the devastation of the Black Death in the mid-14th. century, but in this case the village was abandoned during an outbreak of the plague in the 17th. century. Villagers who survived moved further away from the village centre for safety, and over the following centuries the church was left isolated.
The oldest feature of All Saints is the round west tower, certainly erected no later than 1100. The narrow tower arch and the small windows towards the top of the tower are both indications of late Saxon stonework.
Although the church has Saxon origins the Domesday Book of 1086 makes no mention of a church in Hembington at that time.
The tower houses two bells. The oldest was cast in 1621 by the Brasyer foundry in Norwich. It bears the arms of the city of Norwich and the monogram AB W, for William Brend, the founder, and his wife Alice.
Inside the church Saxon stonework survives in the nave walls, though much of it has been overwhelmed by 14th. and 15th. century rebuilding. Set into the west wall of the nave is a small slab of Barnack stone with a circular hole cut through it. It seems almost certain to have been a lookout hole.
The church is famous for its 15th. century wall painting depicting scenes from the life of St. Christopher. The painting had been painted over but was revealed and partially restored in 1937.
The bowl of the 15th. century painted octagonal font has eight panels of saints, each of them seated, and all but one are very clear. Starting from the west face the figures are,
The Holy Trinity
St. Augustine of Hippo
Edward the Confessor
St. George with his feet resting on a dragon
St. Thomas Becket
St. Barbara
St. Agatha
An unknown figure, possibly an Apostle
The font stem is also octagonal, with eight carvings in niches depicting,
St. Leonard
St. Catherine
St. Stephen
St. Citha
St. Lawrence
St. Margaret of Antioch,
A monk
A robed figure
The restoration of 1937 has faithfully reproduced what the font would have looked like when it was new.
The church has been part of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Churchyard Conservation Scheme for over 15 years. The churchyard is carefully managed to include two conservation areas which are allowed to grow and flower into a wildflower meadow, comprising of primroses, pignut, oxeye daisy and meadow buttercups.
The church gained Grade: I listed building status on 25th. September 1962. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 228492).