Across country to the Suffolk/Norfolk border to St Andrew's Church Barningham.
I opened the door and a voice from inside said " you're rather early for the wedding!". A lady was busy inside tidy things away and getting ready for a wedding which was a couple of hours later. I had plenty of time for photos and the lady was able to point out some of the special features.
Difficult for a good photo of the whole church as the churchyard surrounding it isn't very big
View down the Nave to the chancel and altar. The pew ends were decorated with flowers for the wedding.
C15 Rood screen, the gates were added in the 17th Century 200 years after the screen was constructed. The step has been raised and lowered over the years because at one time steps up to the chancel were thought to be Popish and superstitious.
Unusual to be able to see the steps that would have led to the rood loft where candles were positioned. Often the steps are more inside the walls.
The East window
This is an oddity - it is a painted wooden board with the inscription Flagellatus est IHC sancta trinitas unus deus. Sepultus IHC. These are words from the Catholic liturgy for Holy Saturday and could be part of a movable Easter Sepulchre of the 15th or 16th Century. If it is, it would be a unique survival in East Anglia. (info from Simon Knotts Suffolk Churches website)
Font and cover
I hope the wedding went well.
A comment on the wrong post but I didn't see Knodishall on your list of churches yesterday. I'm sure I remember reading and commenting at the time because I used to live a couple of minutes from the church.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was only 2 minutes away at the smallholding of course! Son's wedding was there too but the door has been locked when I've been in the area since I started doing the churches for the blog and I'm only counting churches that I've been into for photos.
DeleteI will get inside again sometime
Another super post about a Suffolk church - thankyou. I always enjoy reading them (well I enjoy all your posts!). Lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Thank you
DeleteGreat photos, and how lively to see the wedding flowers too
ReplyDeleteThey had two huge milk churns full of flowers by the door - looked lovely
DeleteLovely wedding flowers on the pew ends. When my daughter got married we didn't do them because the aisle is so narrow but I love to see them.
ReplyDeletePenny
Out of 100+ churches first one that's been ready for a wedding - it looked lovely
DeleteAnother reminder of the beauty of Blighty. I love vising old churches when I am over there.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding more open at this time of the year which is good
DeleteIt's good to be able to get into churches. So many are locked these days.
ReplyDeleteIt's been better this summer so far, I had lots of fails during the winter which is frustrating.
DeleteSo sweetly decorated for the wedding. An amazing looking collection of kneelers on display.
ReplyDeleteSo many hours of work must go in to the kneelers in the churches I've visited
DeleteInteresting, it's really in use, if people are getting married there.
ReplyDeleteGood to see it being used - and it's a good size village with the church right in the centre
DeleteHard to believe that church is 600 years old. I guess you've seen even older ones in your travels. Looks like it's well loved.
ReplyDeleteMost village churches were built between 1,200 and 1,400, often on the site of much older churches built 200 - 400 years earlier. Then the Victorians did lots of modernisation
DeleteLovely and interesting church, those steps fascinate me for some reason!
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
It's always curious seeing the small steps up to something that is no longer there, taken away because they thought a Rood Loft was too decorative!
DeleteThat looks very pretty all ready for it's wedding service ... and your photographs.
ReplyDeleteI've visited a church that was preparing for a funeral later in the day but never a wedding - so that was a first
DeleteMy sister and husband were at Lakenheath AFB in the 1970s, and she had rubbed brasses; some were facsimile, I’m sure. Is that practice completely outlawed now? They were pretty, but no one wanted to add wear to these relics. Thanks for your posts, I always enjoy getting a look.
ReplyDeleteBonnie in Minneapolis
I'm not sure if Brass Rubbing is still allowed, often the brasses have been moved off the tombs on floor to keep them safe.
DeleteI looked at those steps and thought how easy it would be to slip without a rail to hold on to! Jean in Winnipeg
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful stone church and so lovingly cared for. The large stained-glass window seems perfect whereas floral looks out-of-place to me in a church window. The carved pew ends show many hands have touched the head tops as they are rather smooth. People are devoted to their church.
ReplyDeleteThe wedding flowers are lovely, and the bouquets attached to the ends of the pews with white satin is nicely done.
What an interesting church and thanks for sharing all the information. The flowers for the wedding looked so fresh and I hope the day went well for the couple who were being married. Catriona
ReplyDeleteLooks gorgeous - I just went down a rabbit hole of trying to find out what the knee cushions were called - I was offered Kneeler (funny, I never really thought about how kneeling was spelled, I have only ever just said it) which I thought rather strained - so synonyms offered were tuffet, hassock, genuflexorium, or genuflectorium - that is more like it! Of course, now I am rethinking Miss Muffet.
ReplyDeleteCharming old church and so lovely to have a wedding there. I wonder how many weddings, baptisms and funerals have been observed there. Wow, so much history.
ReplyDelete