Wymondham Abbey
So many of our great monastic churches have faded into oblivion as a result of their suppression and plunder for the greed of Henry VIII and his henchmen, perhaps the biggest single blow to our heritage of all time. How fortunate then that a few slipped through the net and remain with us in some form today, incomplete but still glorious fragments.
Wymondham Abbey is just such a place, one of those cathedral-sized churches that survived because it was partially in parochial use, and thus withstood the dismantling of the monastic complex after it was dissolved. Here the great church was more physically divided than most, the nave being under the control of the townsfolk, the eastern parts for the exclusive use of the monks. The nave with its enormous west tower thus remains as Wymondham's parish church, one of the grandest in the country, whilst the monks choir of course fell victim to to the Dissolution and was quarried away soon afterwards leaving only the soaring octagonal central tower, a hollow shell with a great arch open on its eastern side (where formerly it connected to the choir). The church thus has a unique profile, the great main vessel with a mighty tower at either end, a sight that had tantalised me from a distance on several journeys in the area over the years, but never got to experience from close quarters until now.
The sight of the two great late medieval towers dominating their surroundings is an unforgettable sight, and is all the more dramatic when approaching from the east as the ruined central tower appears to be of almost equal size from this direction, but in reality is significantly smaller than the great bulk that literally towers over the west end. The ruinous sections adjoining the east end of the nave have recently been imaginatively incorporated into modern extensions that increase the church's working space quite effectively. Entry to the great nave that links the towers is by a handsome vaulted porch on the north side.
Externally most of the building implies a 15th century or later date, but within the impression is quite different, as most of what we see is still the original 12th century Norman structure with its solid piers and round arches. The clerestorey above and the aisle walls were clearly rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th century (hence the Norman work fails to register from outside), at which stage the astonishing angel roof was added (retaining its carved enrichments in the form of stellar bosses and large wooden angel carvings, happily far out of the reach of iconoclasts). The north aisle is also adorned with a fine richly carved late medieval roof and is substantially wider than its counterpart to the south.
The most notable furnishings are of rather more recent date, the great 1920s reredos and tester by Sir Ninian Comper that adorns the east wall (which was blocked before the Dissolution to divide the people's church from that of the monks). It is a glorious splash of gilding and coloured sculpture and forms a fitting climax and focal point to the interior in place of what would otherwise have been a featureless wall.
There is much to enjoy here but above all it is the architecture and its embellishments that make a visit here so memorable. I had waited many years to finally experience this building for myself and it did not disappoint! The church is normally open to visitors most days and I was made very welcome here. I loved it and urge others to come and see this remarkable place for themselves!
For more history and detail of the Wymondham Abbey see its entry on the Norfolk Churches site below:-
Wymondham Abbey
So many of our great monastic churches have faded into oblivion as a result of their suppression and plunder for the greed of Henry VIII and his henchmen, perhaps the biggest single blow to our heritage of all time. How fortunate then that a few slipped through the net and remain with us in some form today, incomplete but still glorious fragments.
Wymondham Abbey is just such a place, one of those cathedral-sized churches that survived because it was partially in parochial use, and thus withstood the dismantling of the monastic complex after it was dissolved. Here the great church was more physically divided than most, the nave being under the control of the townsfolk, the eastern parts for the exclusive use of the monks. The nave with its enormous west tower thus remains as Wymondham's parish church, one of the grandest in the country, whilst the monks choir of course fell victim to to the Dissolution and was quarried away soon afterwards leaving only the soaring octagonal central tower, a hollow shell with a great arch open on its eastern side (where formerly it connected to the choir). The church thus has a unique profile, the great main vessel with a mighty tower at either end, a sight that had tantalised me from a distance on several journeys in the area over the years, but never got to experience from close quarters until now.
The sight of the two great late medieval towers dominating their surroundings is an unforgettable sight, and is all the more dramatic when approaching from the east as the ruined central tower appears to be of almost equal size from this direction, but in reality is significantly smaller than the great bulk that literally towers over the west end. The ruinous sections adjoining the east end of the nave have recently been imaginatively incorporated into modern extensions that increase the church's working space quite effectively. Entry to the great nave that links the towers is by a handsome vaulted porch on the north side.
Externally most of the building implies a 15th century or later date, but within the impression is quite different, as most of what we see is still the original 12th century Norman structure with its solid piers and round arches. The clerestorey above and the aisle walls were clearly rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th century (hence the Norman work fails to register from outside), at which stage the astonishing angel roof was added (retaining its carved enrichments in the form of stellar bosses and large wooden angel carvings, happily far out of the reach of iconoclasts). The north aisle is also adorned with a fine richly carved late medieval roof and is substantially wider than its counterpart to the south.
The most notable furnishings are of rather more recent date, the great 1920s reredos and tester by Sir Ninian Comper that adorns the east wall (which was blocked before the Dissolution to divide the people's church from that of the monks). It is a glorious splash of gilding and coloured sculpture and forms a fitting climax and focal point to the interior in place of what would otherwise have been a featureless wall.
There is much to enjoy here but above all it is the architecture and its embellishments that make a visit here so memorable. I had waited many years to finally experience this building for myself and it did not disappoint! The church is normally open to visitors most days and I was made very welcome here. I loved it and urge others to come and see this remarkable place for themselves!
For more history and detail of the Wymondham Abbey see its entry on the Norfolk Churches site below:-