St Helen's, Ranworth
St Helen's church at Ranworth has much of interest but is justly renowned for its wonderfully preserved rood screen, dating back to the 15th century and still adorned with an amazing sequence of painted saints.
The building itself is almost entirely of 15th century date, with a soaring west tower and nave and chancel both aisless but of different widths, the latter much narrower but this transition is nicely accommodated by the rood screen which extends the full width of the wider nave, the extremities serving as parclose chapels, complete with separate altars and reredoses but otherwise structurally continuous with the screen.
The interior would be somewhat spartan without the screen, a large open space with little other adornment. The display of images painted on the screen makes a matter of little consequence, it is one of the best displays of medieval art in the country, with particularly famous images of St Michael & St George on the parts that extend outwards. Despite the preservation of the imagery, there was clearly some iconoclasm as most of the faces are less well preserved (looking as if someone has tried to rub them away), but fortunately most of the features are still discernable (the under-drawing showing through in many instances).
The chancel beyond the screen contains medieval stalls with a few simple misericords and a few old poppyheads can be enjoyed on the bench ends in the nave.
The church is generally kept open and welcoming for visitors to enjoy (don't come too early though, it was locked when I arrived so I went of to see somewhere else, only to return and find it still shut but fortunately a lady appeared before long to unlock, after the vicar had assured me by phone the church would be opened shortly).
One special treat here is the access to the tower, visitors are able to climb to the roof for some fine views over the surrounding countryside (I timed my ascent badly as a big group had just turned up purely to do the same). A spiral staircase takes visitors to belfry level, and then one completes the climb via a couple of ladders leading to a hatch in the roof. If only more churches would take a leaf out of Ranworth's book to offer this rare treat.
St Helen's, Ranworth
St Helen's church at Ranworth has much of interest but is justly renowned for its wonderfully preserved rood screen, dating back to the 15th century and still adorned with an amazing sequence of painted saints.
The building itself is almost entirely of 15th century date, with a soaring west tower and nave and chancel both aisless but of different widths, the latter much narrower but this transition is nicely accommodated by the rood screen which extends the full width of the wider nave, the extremities serving as parclose chapels, complete with separate altars and reredoses but otherwise structurally continuous with the screen.
The interior would be somewhat spartan without the screen, a large open space with little other adornment. The display of images painted on the screen makes a matter of little consequence, it is one of the best displays of medieval art in the country, with particularly famous images of St Michael & St George on the parts that extend outwards. Despite the preservation of the imagery, there was clearly some iconoclasm as most of the faces are less well preserved (looking as if someone has tried to rub them away), but fortunately most of the features are still discernable (the under-drawing showing through in many instances).
The chancel beyond the screen contains medieval stalls with a few simple misericords and a few old poppyheads can be enjoyed on the bench ends in the nave.
The church is generally kept open and welcoming for visitors to enjoy (don't come too early though, it was locked when I arrived so I went of to see somewhere else, only to return and find it still shut but fortunately a lady appeared before long to unlock, after the vicar had assured me by phone the church would be opened shortly).
One special treat here is the access to the tower, visitors are able to climb to the roof for some fine views over the surrounding countryside (I timed my ascent badly as a big group had just turned up purely to do the same). A spiral staircase takes visitors to belfry level, and then one completes the climb via a couple of ladders leading to a hatch in the roof. If only more churches would take a leaf out of Ranworth's book to offer this rare treat.