St Mary's Church, Burnham Deepdale facts for kids

St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is a special old church in Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk, England. It's famous for its unique round tower. Parts of the church, including the tower, are from the 11th century. Over time, the church was added to and rebuilt. By the 1700s, it needed a lot of repair. Most of what you see today comes from a big renovation in 1870 by Frederick Preedy. The church is also well-known for its beautiful stained glass windows from the 1300s and 1400s. It also has a Norman font that shows scenes of daily life from each month.

The Church's Design

The village of Burnham Deepdale is one of several villages in Norfolk, England, called the Norfolk Burnhams. It is about 13 kilometers (8 miles) west of Wells-next-the-Sea. Tidal marshes separate the village from the sea.

St Mary's Church is the local church for Burnham Deepdale. It is right next to the A149 road that goes through the village. This church is one of 129 round-tower churches still standing in Norfolk. We don't know the exact dates it was built. However, the oldest parts are the round tower at the west end and the wall next to it. Experts believe these parts were built by the Anglo-Saxon people. This was before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The round tower is made of flint, a type of stone. It goes up to a belfry at the top. The belfry has narrow windows. The lowest part of the tower has slightly thicker walls. People think this part was rebuilt or fixed up a lot at some point. The round tower has a metal roof made of lead. It was probably covered with roof tiles when it was first built.

Some parts, like a doorway on the north side, were added during the Norman period. More additions and fixes happened later. For example, a Perpendicular chancel arch was added in the 1400s. By the early 1700s, the church was in bad shape. It was even called "a gloomy moss-covered cavern." In the late 1700s and 1800s, work was done to clean and fix the building. A major rebuilding project happened in 1870. This work was led by Frederick Preedy.

Inside the Church

The Norman font

The church is famous for its many medieval stained glass windows. Most of these beautiful windows are from the 1300s and 1400s.

The church is also known for its Norman font. This font is carved from Barnack stone. Its outside is divided into 12 sections. Each section shows one of the Labours of the Months. These are typical farm activities for each of the 12 months of the year. In 1797, the font broke into three pieces while being moved. The pieces were taken out of the church. They were used to decorate a garden at a nearby house in Fincham.

In the 1840s, the pieces were put back together. They were partly fixed and returned to the church. Later, the font was fully restored. Worn parts were reshaped to make it look like it did originally.

The carved altarpiece was made by Walter Tapper in 1932.

In 1953, the church was given a special status. It was listed as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historic building. The church is still used regularly for Sunday services. It also hosts stalls during the yearly Deepdale Christmas Market.

Images for kids

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  Sun window

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  Moon window

Medieval porch windows, topped with images representing the Sun and Moon