St Peter's Church, Forncett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church |
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St Peter's Church, Forncett St Peter's, Norfolk
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www.forncett.info/forncett-churches/st-peter.html |
| History | |
| Founded | 11th Century |
| Dedication | St Peter and St Paul |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Church of St Peter, Forncett | |
| Designated: | 7 December 1959 |
| Reference #: | 1152619 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Upper Tas Valley All Saints |
| Diocese | Norwich |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Peter's Church is a very old and important building in south Norfolk, UK. It is about ten miles south of the city of Norwich. Its full name is St Peter's and St Paul's, but most people just call it St Peter's. This church used to be the main church for the village of Forncett St Peter.
Today, St Peter's is still used for church services. It is also a nationally important building, listed as Grade I. This means it is one of the most important historic buildings in England. Its Anglo-Saxon round tower, built around the year 1000 AD, is thought to be one of the best in the whole country.
While the tower is very old, much of the rest of the church was built later, mostly in the 14th and 15th centuries. Some special things to see inside include the 1485 Drake tomb, a unique old staircase in the tower, and beautifully carved ends on the wooden pews. There are also nice stained glass windows from the Victorian era and a set of six bells.
The church is currently on the Heritage at Risk Register. This means it needs important repairs and a plan to fix it up. A local group, The Friends of St Peter's, started in 2019 to help raise money for this big project.
Did you know that the famous poet William Wordsworth has a connection to this church? His sister, Dorothy, lived in the nearby rectory from 1788 to 1794. She stayed with her uncle, William Cookson, who was the rector (the priest in charge) at the time.
Contents
History of St Peter's Church
Early Beginnings
The church's history goes back a very long time. In the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086, the area of Forncett had two churches. These are believed to be the current St Peter's and St Mary's churches. They were both separate parish churches back then.
The original Anglo-Saxon church was quite simple. It had the tower, a main hall called the nave, and a chancel (the area around the altar). It was big for its time, with the chancel being 20 feet square. The round tower and many parts of the western nave and chancel still date from the 11th century.
Changes Over Time
In the 14th century, the church got some updates. A clerestory (a row of windows high up) was added, and the roof was made taller. The chancel was extended, and the arch leading to it was made bigger. Narrow aisles were also added on both sides of the nave.
Later, in the 15th century, the aisles were made wider. Large windows in the "Perpendicular style" (a type of Gothic architecture) were put in. The porch, which is the entrance area, was also added around this time. Porches were very important back then. They were used for weddings, solving legal problems, burials, and giving help to the poor. The font (for baptisms), the rood screen (a screen separating the nave and chancel), and carved pew ends were also added.
During the Reformation and Commonwealth periods, much of the church's decoration was damaged or destroyed. This included some of the beautiful pew ends. In 1725, the right to choose the church's minister was bought by Dr Rowland Hill. He later gave this right to St John's College, Cambridge.
19th Century Renovations
The 1800s saw two main periods of change. In 1832, two new windows were put into the west wall, next to the tower. Reverend W. Grieve Wilson, who was the minister for 49 years starting in 1845, did a lot of repair and updating. He even paid for some of it by selling the lead from the roof, which was then replaced with slate from Westmorland.
During this time, the brown plaster covering the tower was removed in 1851. The gallery, rood screen, and old pulpit were taken out. The seating was changed, and the carvings on the pew ends were fixed. In 1872, the organ was put in. Stained glass was added to four windows between 1854 and 1892. In 1897, the reredos (a screen behind the altar) was installed.
Recent Discoveries and Changes
In 1986, more restoration work happened. This included new stonework in the clerestory and redecorating. During this work, a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) was found behind the organ. This showed that there used to be a side altar in that spot.
In 1905, St Peter's and St Mary's churches came under the same parish with one minister. Today, St Peter's is part of a group of eight churches called the Upper Tas Valley Benefice. All these churches share one Priest in Charge.
Architecture of St Peter's
Outside the Church
The Tower
The church's tower is truly special. Experts have discussed whether it's from the late Saxon period or early Norman times. However, Bill Wilson, a famous architectural historian, believes it is entirely Anglo-Saxon. Its unique double bell openings, separated by stone pillars, are a clear sign of Anglo-Saxon design. One of the pillars even has traces of detailed carving, which is unusual.
The tower walls are made of rubble covered with knapped flint (flint stones carefully shaped). These walls are original up to the height of the stringcourse (a horizontal band of stone). The tower stands 61 feet (19 meters) tall. The top part of the tower, called the parapet, and the stringcourse with its gargoyles (carved stone figures), were added in the 14th century.
The Chancel Walls
The outside walls of the chancel show large areas of "herringbone pattern" flintwork. This is a special Anglo-Saxon way of laying flints in rows at opposite angles, creating a zigzag pattern.
The South Wall
On the south wall, there is a priest's door from the 13th century. Above it, you can see hints of an older opening. It looks Anglo-Saxon, but its original purpose is not fully known. Some think it might be what's left of an Anglo-Saxon window from the same time as the tower.
The West Door
The current west door looks like it's from the Norman period, but it's actually a Victorian copy. An older, medieval doorway can be seen in a drawing from 1823.
The Porch
The main entrance to the church is on the north side, through the 15th-century porch. When it was built, this porch was much more important than it is today. It has a square front made of knapped flint with decorative panels. The corner supports were repaired in 1832.
The porch is decorated with symbols of St Peter, like shields with crossed keys. It also has crossed swords for St Paul. There's an old inscription above the door that is hard to read now. It says: "Saints Peter and Paul patrons of this place Pray to Jesus in heaven that I may see His face." This refers to a promise from the Bible. It's common for churches dedicated to both Peter and Paul to eventually be known just as St Peter's. Higher up, you can see the letters "IHS" made in a special East Anglian style, which is a symbol for Jesus Christ.
Inside the Church
The Roof
The church's roof is made of wood and is very old, from the Medieval period. It is thought to be from the same time as the 14th-century arches. The wooden parts are held together using special joints and wooden pins.
Tower Arch and Belfry
A tall, narrow archway in the west wall of the nave shows how thick the Saxon tower walls are – about 4 feet! There is a rare wooden staircase inside the tower with solid, triangular steps. This staircase might be from the 15th or 16th century. Under the arch, there is a stone slab that used to be part of one of the church's altars.
Carved Pew Ends
The detailed carved figures on the ends of the wooden pews are a main feature of the church. They were carved in the 15th century but were badly damaged during the Reformation. They were fixed in the 19th century, with some being repaired and others replaced.
These carvings show many different figures. They include apostles, people representing seasons or jobs, and symbols of bad habits. People have suggested who some of these figures are, but some are still a mystery! The carvings in the nave (the main part of the church) are the best. Those in the north and south aisles are medieval but were not as well made and have been heavily repaired. The ones in the chancel are all from the 19th century.
Here are some of the subjects carved on the pew ends in the nave:
- (North side, from east to west) St Simon, an apostle and fisherman
- St Jude holding his boat
- St Mark seated on a lion
- St Philip holding loaves of bread
- A seated man with a scroll
- A seated man with a book
- A lying figure with a standing figure
- A woman standing in a box
- A seated figure with a devil below – representing greed
- August – showing harvest time
- July – also showing harvest time
- A saint holding a cross
- St Paul (from the 19th century)
- A pelican feeding its young (a symbol of sacrifice)
- An eagle
- (South side, from east to west) A seated man (from the 19th century)
- April – showing someone pruning a tree
- June – showing haymaking
- March – showing sowing seeds
- November – showing an animal being killed for a feast
- December – showing feasting
- Gluttony (eating too much)
- A saint holding a martyr's palm (a symbol of someone who died for their faith)
- A seated man
- A seated man holding a scroll
- Raising Lazarus from the dead
- May – showing hunting
- St John the Evangelist
- St Luke painting the Virgin Mary
The Font
The font (where baptisms take place) is from the 15th century. Its original decorations have mostly worn away. It was moved to its current spot in 1877.
The Pulpit
The pulpit (where the sermon is given) is made from two oak panels from the 17th century. It was repaired in the 19th century and moved to its present location. It is thought to have replaced an older, six-sided pulpit.
Rood Screen and Reredos
A rood screen was built across the entrance to the chancel in the 15th century. It was taken down in the 19th century. Parts of it were later used to create the reredos (the screen behind the altar), which was put in place in 1897. There is a narrow stairway at the east end of the south aisle that once led up to the rood loft, which was on top of the rood screen.
Piscinae
There are three Medieval piscinae (basins for washing sacred vessels) in the church. The best one is built into the wall to the left of the north door and is from the 14th century. The other two are to the right of the altar and behind the organ.
The Organ
The church has a pipe organ with one manual (keyboard) and pedals. It was built around 1850 by Holdich of London. It was installed in 1872, first on the north side of the chancel, then moved to the south aisle in 1877. It has been repaired several times, with a full overhaul in 2006.
The Drake Tomb
The alabaster tomb of Elizabeth and Thomas Drake (who died in 1485) shows the couple lying side by side. They are carefully shown in medieval clothes, using a special engraving technique called niello work. This type of tomb might be unique in Norfolk. An old inscription on the tomb, now hard to read, once asked people to pray for Thomas Drake's soul.
Memorials
The church has several memorials. These include tributes to the men from Forncett who died in the two World Wars. Two notable Ledger Stones (flat stones set into the floor) near the belfry have small brass inscriptions for members of the Baxter family from 1484 and 1535. In the chancel, there is an oval stone tablet remembering Anna Cookson, who was a cousin of Dorothy and William Wordsworth.
Stained Glass Windows
There are four stained glass windows, all from the 19th century, with special dedications. The window in the south chancel, showing St Peter and St Paul, was made by F. W. Oliphant in 1854. It has been called "outstandingly good glass" with "very good colour and painting." There is also an extra, narrow stained glass window in the tower, which does not have a dedication.
The Church Bells
St Peter's has a set of six bells, made at five different times. Even so, they are "considered to be one of the finest in the county." In 1552, there were four bells, and a fifth was added in 1602. They were re-hung in 1778. In 1875, the largest bell, which had cracked, was remade by John Warner of London.
By the 1930s, the bells could not be used. John Taylor of Loughborough carried out restoration work. This included remaking the cracked smallest bell and hanging all the bells in a new two-level bell frame. In 1982, a new smallest bell was made in memory of Mary Armstrong, a local churchwarden and headteacher. This completed the set of six bells.
The Churchyard
The church is set back from the road in a large and pretty churchyard. It has some well-carved and interesting gravestones. The churchyard is on the edge of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (a protected area for nature) above the River Tas valley. A long walking path, the Tas Valley Way, passes nearby.
A large part of the churchyard is managed to help wildlife. It has many flowers and wild plants throughout the year. A survey of bats in August 2020 found seven different types of bats in the churchyard. These included a large number of Natterer's bats. Other types found were Common pipistrelles (which might be living in the church), Soprano pipistrelles, Common noctules, Serotines, Barbastelles, and Brown long-eared bats.
Role of the Church Today
St Peter's is an active church within the Upper Tas Valley All Saints parish. You can find information about church services online.
The church building is also an important place for community life in the small villages of Forncett. These villages don't have a natural meeting place, so the church helps bring people together. The current repair and renovation project aims to make the church even more useful for everyone in the community.
See also
