St Peter's Church, Forncett facts for kids
St Peter's is one of seven churches in the parish of Upper Tas Valley All Saints in south Norfolk, ten miles south of Norwich, UK. The full name is St Peter's and St Paul's, commonly known as St Peter's, and was formerly the parish church for Forncett St Peter. It is an active place of worship and a nationally significant Grade I listed building. Its Anglo-Saxon round tower, built circa 1000 AD, is considered one of the best in the country. There are other Anglo-Saxon features. Much of the main building is of later, mainly 14th and 15th century date. Significant features are: the 1485 Drake tomb, a unique ancient staircase in the tower (access by appointment), carved pew ends, fine ledger slabs in the chancel and nave, good examples of Victorian coloured glass windows, and the ring of six bells. There is an excellent guide to the church. There is a connection with William Wordsworth: his sister, Dorothy, lived at the rectory from 1788 until 1794 with her uncle, the rector, William Cookson.
Today the church is on the Heritage At Risk Register. There is critical need for repair and a programme of renovation. Some areas of masonry are in a dangerous condition and roofs and rainwater goods need replacement. Toilet and kitchen facilities are minimal and the poor level of heating means that the church can only be used effectively Spring-Autumn. A community group, The Friends of St Peter's, was set up in 2019 to lead a major fund-raising campaign to save this historic gem and provide a spiritual and community hub for adults and children to come together in a safe environment in beautiful surroundings.
Contents
History
In Domesday Book, the estate of Forncett was the land of Roger Bigod of Norfolk (died 1107) and is said to have had two churches, identified as the present-day St Peter's and St Mary's, which are recorded as separate parish churches Remarkably, parts of St Peter's Church still probably look very similar to what the Domesday Book recorder would have seen in 1086. These include the round tower and a large amount of fabric at the west end of the nave and in the chancel.
In the 15th century, in common with many churches, there was significant rebuilding and the aisles were added. At the same time the north porch was built and it would have been used, amongst other things, for marriages, resolution of judicial matters, burial and giving of the alms.
The advowson of Forncett (the right to present a nominee for the post of minister) was purchased in 1725 by Dr Rowland Hill, who bequeathed it to St John’s College, Cambridge.
The Rev W. Grieve Wilson, the minister from 1845, undertook considerable refurbishment and repair to the fabric. The church was restored and re-seated by Thomas Jekyll in 1857, and, as a result, the interior is largely a mixture of 15th century and 19th century fabric, perhaps with the exception of the Jacobean pulpit. The stained glass, the panelling behind the altar, the Holdich organ and the seating are all additions made in the Victorian era.
In 1905 the two churches – St Peter's and St Mary's - came under the same parish with one minister. Both are now part of the eight church Upper Tas Valley Benefice along with the churches at Tacolneston, Hapton, Wreningham, Forncett End and Ashwellthorpe (forming the parish of Upper Tas Valley All Saints) and the parish of Fundenhall and are all served by one Priest in Charge.
Architecture
The Anglo-Saxon church was simple in plan, only consisting of the tower, nave and chancel. The church's present-day tower is outstanding, although its date has been debated: either late Saxon or early Norman. However, from a stylistic point of view, the characteristic double bell openings divided in the middle by stone shafts crowned with capitals, is undeniably Anglo-Saxon. Unusually, the capital in the east opening, although weathered, bears traces of intricate carving. The outer walls of the chancel reveal extensive areas of Saxon herringbone pattern flintwork.
The west door, although it looks Norman, is a Victorian imitation, and a different medieval doorway can be seen in Ladbroke’s 1823 drawing. The parapet and the stringcourse decorated with gargoyles date to 14th century. The entrance into the church is through the beautiful 15th century north porch which, when it was built, played a much more significant role than it does today. It is decorated with the emblems of St Peter, shields with crossed keys, and crossed swords for St Paul. There is also an inscription above, which is almost impossible to decipher, but it reads:
‘Saints Petur and Pawle patronnys of yis place Praye to Ihui(n) hevenyt I may see his face’
[Saints Peter and Paul patrons of this place Pray to Jesus in heaven that I may see His face]
The reference here is to God's promise to Moses before he led his people out of Egypt (Exodus 33.20). It is common for a church dedicated to both Peter and Paul to lose the Paul along the way, which is what happened here. Further above you can see the letters "HIS" made in typical East Anglian flush work– they symbolise Jesus Christ.
Inside the church, the arch-braced roof, rood stair, piscina, simple font and a number of carved pew ends are Medieval. The latter are of exceptional quality and depict a range of figures: apostles, personifications of seasons and occupations and symbols of vices. Various suggestions as to the specific identities of these figures have been made, but some are still debated. The pew ends were severely damaged by iconoclasts in the Reformation and what remains are a mixture of restored medieval carvings and replacements carved in Victorian times.
Notable features
- Saxon 'herringbone pattern' in the flintwork - flints laid in a row at a slight angle and in the following row laid at the opposite angle forming a pattern. It is particularly evident in the outside of the south wall of the chancel
- Traces of an intriguing opening above the 13th century priest's door in the south wall. It is Anglo-Saxon in character, but of unknown function: it is too big to be a window and too high above the ground to be a door. H. Taylor, however, suggests that this opening may be remains of an Anglo-Saxon double-splayed window of the same date as the tower.
- Alabaster tomb of Elizabeth and Thomas Drake (died 1485). Shows the couple in carefully depicted medieval dress. The tomb incorporates unusual niello work– a type of engraving that uses a black mixture to fill out the engraved lines, which may be unique in Norfolk. In her historical outline of the church, Rosemary Izat states that the inscription on the tomb once read "All Christian people that walk by this tomb erly or late, of your cherity say a pater noster for the soul of Tho. Drake" (Weever’s Funeral Monuments)
- Rare timber staircase in the tower. Most likely dates to the 15th/16th centuries (viewing by appointment)
- Intricately carved pew ends
- Stone mensa slab at the entrance into the tower. It used to be a part of one of the altars in the church and is now set at an angle under the tower arch
- Two early brass inscriptions and two ledger stones
- Remnants of a Victorian heating system at the west end of the nave
- Holdich organ - built circa 1850, situated in the south aisle. This was restored by Richard Bower in 2006
Memorials
There are a number of memorials inside the church that include stained glass windows, large memorial slabs in the main nave aisle as well as wall mounted memorials.
Memorial stones and brasses
There are two Ledger Stones, each with a small brass inscription to members of the Baxter family – 1484 and 1535.
In the chancel there is an oval stone tablet to the memory of Anna Cookson, daughter of William Cookson, one time rector of the parish, and the cousin of Dorothy and William Wordsworth.
There are various other memorials, including those to the men of Forncett who fell in two world wars.
Stained glass windows
There are four stained glass windows, all from the nineteenth century, with dedications. The south chancel window depicting St Peter and St Paul is by F. W. Oliphant and dates from 1854. The other windows have clear glass.
In the tower a striking small lancet stained glass window, is currently hidden from view by the curtain needed to reduce drafts from the tower (viewing by appointment).
Bells
There is a ring of 6 bells, of 5 different dates, the earliest being 1602 and the latest 1980. Despite this it is "considered to be one of the finest in the county".
Role of the church
St Peter's has a vibrant spiritual life, within the parish of Upper Tas Valley All Saints. Information about services is available online.
The building is also a significant centre for community life in the small rural villages known collectively as Forncett. The three closely connected villages - Forncett St Peter, Forncett St Mary and Forncett End - in South Norfolk, sprawl across an agricultural landscape dominated by its heavy clay soils and the gentle meanderings of the little River Tas. Having no natural focal point, St Peter's church is helping to fill this role. In a community with very few amenities and little public transport, loneliness and isolation are common. A place for people to meet, make friends and enjoy the continuity and age-old sense of peace provided by such an ancient place is invaluable. The planned repairs and renovations focus on developing this secular role further.
Churchyard
The church is set back from the road in a large and attractive churchyard with some well carved and interesting tomb stones. Sited on the edge of a Site of Special Scientific Interest above the valley of the River Tas, a long-distance footpath, the Tas Valley Way, passes close by.
A large area of the churchyard is managed primarily for wildlife, and it has a rich carpet of flowers and wild plants at different seasons. A survey of bats (August 2020) revealed 7 species detected in the churchyard, including a significant number of Natterer’s bats (Myotis nattereri). The other species were: Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), which may be roosting in the church, Soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus), Common noctule (Nyctalus noctula), Serotine (Eptesicus serotinus), Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) and Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus).
