Thursday 9 August 2018

Wretton, Norfolk

All Saints, open, is one of those churches that less than a week after visiting I had no recollection of it until I saw the photo of the notice on the door announcing that the church "is open for prayer". This may seem harsh but the truth is that most churches are, without photographic stimuli, mostly forgettable unless you are intimately familiar with them; this is why Simon Jenkins can select a thousand "best churches" and also why his choices are contentious - such a list is always going to be subjective and therefore open to debate. Some churches, however, are so innocuous, and that is not meant to be in any way dismissive or offensive - I'm perfectly aware that a church I find innocuous is just as likely to be much loved by it's congregation or admired by other visitors - that I've forgotten them by the time I've reached the next one. I imagine part of it is that having visited close to 1500 churches not all are going to make a lasting impression - anyway All Saints is one such.

Having said that it's a pleasing setting and internally pleasantly, if previously over restored, shabby but contains little of lasting interest.

ALL SAINTS. A small church with a carstone chancel. The two nave doorways might be Norman, though not in an original state. The W tower perhaps of the C13, the S arcade of four bays with triple-chamfered arches of c.1300. In the chancel one Dec window. The other windows Perp with four-centred or straight heads. - SCREEN. With one-light divisions and pretty, minor tracery. - PULPIT. C18, with carved top cornice. - BENCHES. Dated 1627; with plain, minimum poppy-heads.

All Saints (3)

Panorama

I've grown accustomed to Mee's omissions but I'm surprised he missed Wretton.

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