St Margaret's Church, Burnham Norton facts for kids
St Margaret's Church is a special old church located in Burnham Norton, a village in Norfolk, England. It's famous for its unique round tower. This church was likely built a very long time ago, possibly in the 11th century. It still has many cool features from the Middle Ages. St Margaret's Church is considered a very important historical building, given the highest level of recognition in England. It also has a beautifully decorated pulpit from the 1400s, which is one of the best examples of its kind still around today.
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About St Margaret's Church
The village of Burnham Norton is part of a group of villages called the Norfolk Burnhams. These villages are in Norfolk, England. St Margaret's Church is about 6 miles (10 km) west of a town called Wells-next-the-Sea. It is separated from the sea by marshy areas.
St Margaret's is one of 129 churches in Norfolk that have a round tower. Experts have different ideas about when it was built. Most historians believe the tower and part of the main church building are from the Anglo-Saxon period. This means they were built between the years 1000 and 1066 AD. However, the church is not mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. This makes some historians think it might have been built a bit later, during the early Norman period.
Over many years, the church building was changed and added to. Because of this, the inside of the church is not perfectly even or symmetrical.
Church Design and Features
The north side of the church has arches supported by round columns from the 1200s. The south side has arches supported by more detailed, eight-sided columns from the 1300s.
The large window at the east end of the church is a beautiful stained-glass window. It was put in during the late 1920s. This window shows images of two saints named Margaret: Saint Margaret of Antioch and Saint Margaret of Scotland.
The church building is officially recognized as a Grade I listed building. This is the highest level of protection for historical buildings in England. It means the church is very important and needs to be preserved.
Inside the Church
Inside St Margaret's Church, you can still see many parts from the medieval times.
Old Church Elements
- There is a very large stone font, which is a basin used for baptisms.
- Near the north door, there is a small space in the wall. This was once a special oven used to bake wafers for communion services.
- The church also has its original rood screen. This is a decorative wooden screen that separated the nave (where people sat) from the chancel (where the altar is). It was given to the church in 1458 by William and Johanne Groom. The panels on the screen originally showed pictures of saints and the Grooms. However, these pictures were damaged during the Reformation, a time when many religious images were removed or defaced.
Church Pulpits
St Margaret's Church has two pulpits. A pulpit is a raised platform where a preacher stands to give a sermon.
- One pulpit is used regularly today. It was built in the 1800s and uses some older wooden panels from the early 1600s.
- The other pulpit is no longer used. It was given to the church by John and Catharine Goldale in 1450. This older pulpit is considered one of the best examples of its style that still exists. It is shaped like a "wine glass," meaning it's a hexagon that gets narrower at the bottom. It is very decorated, and its six panels show pictures of the Goldales, Pope Gregory I, Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Saint Ambrose, and Saint Jerome.
Notable Burials
The churchyard of St Margaret's is the resting place for several interesting people:
- David Jamieson, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery.
- Lady Margaret Douglas-Home, who was the great aunt of Princess Diana.
- Richard Woodget, who was the captain of the famous sailing ship, the Cutty Sark.
