St Andrew's Church, Walpole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church, Walpole |
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St Andrew's Church, Walpole, from the northeast
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| OS grid reference | TF 500 174 |
| Location | Walpole, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Andrew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 11 August 1951 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Perpendicular Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick (some rendered), ashlar dressings |
St Andrew's Church is an old church in Walpole, Norfolk, England. It used to be a regular church but is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. This group helps to save important old churches. The church is a "Grade I listed building." This means it's a very special and important historical building. You can find it in the northern part of Walpole village, about 8 miles (13 km) west of King's Lynn. It is located south of the A17 road.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
St Andrew's Church was built a long, long time ago, in the 1400s. Some parts of it even use materials from an older church that was there before. People have also found Roman remains nearby. This shows the area has a very long history!
People left money in their wills to help build the church. For example, in 1443, money was given for the main part of the church, called the nave. In 1463, more money helped build the porch. In 1504, a donation was made to buy lead for the roof. The church has been repaired and updated a few times. It was restored in 1811 and again in 1897. The tall tower was also fixed up in 1902.
Church Design and Features
St Andrew's Church is built from brick with special cut stone called ashlar for details. The brick on the tower can be seen, but other parts of the church have a smooth plaster-like coating called stucco. The roof is made of lead.
The church has a main area called the nave with four sections. It also has a clerestory, which is a row of windows high up. There are side sections called aisles on the north and south. A porch is on the south side. The chancel, where the altar is, has three sections. There's also a tall tower at the west end.
Outside the Church
The tower has three levels and strong corner supports called buttresses. On the west side of the tower, there's an arched door. Next to it, you can see a small space for a statue. To the right, there's a small room under a sloping roof. This was probably a cell for an anchorite, a person who lived alone for religious reasons. Above the door is a window in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in the 1400s.
Higher up on the south side of the tower is a narrow window called a lancet window. The openings where the bells hang have two sections. The top edge of the tower is shaped like castle walls, called crenellated, with pointed decorations called pinnacles at the corners. A smaller stair tower on the southeast side leads up to a round tower called a turret.
Both side aisles have two-light windows at the west end. They also have three two-light windows along their sides and a three-light window at the east end. There's a low door on the north side of the church. The south porch has a pointed roof and a crenellated top edge with pinnacles. Its roof is made of slate.
The clerestory, the high row of windows, has eight two-light Perpendicular windows on each side. At the east end of the nave, there are two octagonal (eight-sided) towers. These are called rood turrets and each ends in a small spire. The chancel has three three-light windows along both of its sides. The large east window, added in 1897, also has three lights and is in the Perpendicular style. The chancel also has a crenellated top edge.
Inside the Church
Inside, you'll see rows of arches called arcades that separate the nave from the aisles. These arcades have four sections. Next to the arch leading to the chancel, there are stairs that once led to a rood screen. Above this arch, there's a two-light window.
You can find a piscina in the chancel and another in the south aisle. A piscina is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels. There are also double aumbries in both the north and south walls. An aumbry is a small cupboard in the wall, often used to store holy items.
At the west end of the church, there's a wooden balcony from the 1600s with a railing. The font, used for baptisms, is octagonal and dates from the 1400s. Its bowl is decorated with four-leaf shapes and shields. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the 1600s. It has carvings of arches and circles and stands on a 15th-century sandstone base. Above the tower arch, you can see the Royal arms of King George III.
Some of the stone inside, like the arcades and the pulpit base, is quite worn down. The organ, which has one keyboard, was made in 1873. The church has a set of six bells. The oldest bell was made in 1603! Others were made in 1622, two in 1768, one in 1792, and the newest in 1905.
Outside the Churchyard
At the north entrance to the churchyard, you can see two stone carvings called corbels. These were moved here from another spot. They are from the 1400s and are made of limestone. Each one shows a crouching, strange-looking creature called a grotesque. These carvings are also considered important historical items.
See also
