Churches To Visit

[marshman]

Interesting really how many churches there are hidden away - only the other day whilst wandering north of the Yare, did I "bump" into the church of St Nicholas, Buckenham.

Now in the care of the Redundant Churches Fund, it is interesting not just because of its location tucked away not far from a terrace of about 5 cottages and accessed only by a footpath across a field, but because it is probably one of the best examples of just 5 (in Norfolk) of a church with an octagonal tower - we have lots of round towers but octagonal are few and far between. It was a surprise when I found it tucked away in a little wood ,situated above Buckenham Railway Station.

There was a little stand with some very old booklets and they contained another discovery, especially to those who may have wondered, of the origin (probably ) of where the name Beauchamp Arms. I have always thought that a strange name for a pub sat in the middle of nowhere but, others may know this too, I guess it derived its name from a Rector there, between !814 -63, the Revd T. W  Beauchamp, who carried out considerable restoration during that time.

He clearly had access to funds to do this and it may well have been connected to Buckenham Hall demolished some 60/70 years ago. At best the village seemed tiny, as it still is,  but there was a ferry there, so some people must have used it - if I recall hidden in the reeds on the north side of the river, is the remains of the ferry jetty but I guess it was originally a fully fledged ferry able to carry carts etc. Someone somewhere will have a picture of it - I bet Pete Waller knows of one!!!

The church is not entirely "barren" but still interesting if you are ever that way, if only for the splendid tower - someone knicked the bell many years ago, unquestionably to melt down, but that was noted for being unusual too, being from pre Reformation times!! The ignominy of it all having lasted so long, only to fall to a tea leaf!!

[YnysMon]

 

20 minutes ago, marshman said:

St Nicholas, Buckenham.

Thanks. Another one on my ‘to do list’. Shame I didn’t get around to visiting it when we were just down the road moored in Brundall! 

[marshman]

Its actually only a very short walk from the station - although trains stopping at Buckenham are limited I suspect!!

Despite it being under the care of the Redundant Churches, it is quite dilapidated again to the untrained eye like mine - my chief interest at the time was seemingly discovering perhaps, the connection with the pubs name, as I was unaware of that.

If you do get there, I guess you might appreciate the building more than I!!

[Vaughan]

10 hours ago, marshman said:

I guess it was originally a fully fledged ferry able to carry carts etc. Someone somewhere will have a picture of it - I bet Pete Waller knows of one!!!

He posted a picture of it with a horse and cart aboard, a few years ago, somewhere.  Maybe in the history section, on the River Yare.

I read somewhere that the ferry was discontinued after a lorry rolled back off it and went in the river.

[Vaughan]

10 hours ago, marshman said:

There was a little stand with some very old booklets and they contained another discovery, especially to those who may have wondered, of the origin (probably ) of where the name Beauchamp Arms.

According to "Wherries and Waterways," the wherry Lady Violet was owned by Lord Beauchamp of Langley Hall.  Maybe the vicar of Buckenham was the same family?  They always used to say that the first son inherited the estate; the second got a commission in the Army and the third went into the Church.  Maybe that was it?

[Vaughan]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

 Maybe in the history section, on the River Yare.

I have just found it in the history section, thread called Buckenham Ferry, from 2015.

With a very detailed link by Carol Gingell, to the Broadland Memories site.

[Vaughan]

 

I knew I had seen it somewhere . . . . 

Photo from "The Broads" by Robert Malster.

[Ray]

Winterton church from the dunes this evening.

[kpnut]

I tried to visit Wickhampton church today. The sign said it’s open daily but the first door I tried was locked and after walking all round the exterior, and finding the ‘normal’ door with the porch, as in most churches round here, the porch door was open, but the inner door had a hefty padlock on it. 

Never mind, I’m going to try Halvergate tomorrow. 
I did find quite an interesting memorial stone though. Maybe some folk on here knew of this man. He was obviously well thought of, by some at least. 

[marshman]

Try Buckenham - the nearby church of Hassingham is usually locked.

Also out my way is Hemblington, a beautiful round towered church surrounded by open fields, immaculately kept and always open during daylight hours. These days, I really don't like going to funerals but I always go up to Hemblington Church and sit inside, or out as they have a lovely churchyard with a great bench, and have a period of reflection. I prefer to do that on my own, and not with others, and there, I can find myself at peace with the world.

Its on one of my walks and I find it good to often pop in and reflect on things now and again.

[Vaughan]

13 hours ago, kpnut said:

I did find quite an interesting memorial stone though. Maybe some folk on here knew of this man. He was obviously well thought of, by some at least. 

 

I did indeed know him well and he became a good friend of mine, in the late 70s.  I have mentioned him before on other threads and was going to do so today on KPnut's thread after her lovely post about the Halvergate marshes.

He was often known locally as the saviour of the marshes but I had not realised it was actually carved on his grave.

Look again at those photos by KPnut and think what it could have looked like if it was all "deep dyke" drained and ploughed up into several square miles of oilseed rape.

Andrew was the local "headman" for the Friends of the Earth, so you may think that he, and a boatyard owner such as me, would be strange bedfellows!  In fact, he had a lot of the "Ted Ellis" in him and quickly absorbed the real and complex issues of Broadland.  He came over "onto our side" and did a great deal to mediate the sensational press publicity of those days.

In 1994 I was already in France but I heard that his life ended early in circumstances which were not quite certain.  He was a very likeable but also serious man of intense purpose and I often wonder whether it had all got too much for him.

There is no doubt however, that when we look at the beautiful expanse of the Halvergate Marshes today, we have Andrew to thank for it.

[Vaughan]

I have been doing a bit of Googling on Andrew John Lees and there is a lot of info available.

When I knew him, as a fellow "conspirator" in matters of great concern to Broadland, I  never knew how qualified he was; nor anything about his other achievements as a global environmentalist.  He never spoke of it, even on several occasions over supper in my own home, at Womack.  His concern at that time was the Broads and that was what we spoke of.

I find that the epitaph on his gravestone is actually his own words, from a press interview during his career :

Someone has to stand and be counted.  Who will speak for the butterflies?

Now that those of my generation who fought for the future of the Broads (and I humbly include myself) have got well past their "best before date", what are we left with now? 

In the words of Sir John Betjeman, when addressing the House of Commons :

We will be remembered by future generations for our monuments : and not for our blasted efforts to save money.

So who will now speak for the Broads?  Stop and think about that for a moment.