The day began with St Helen's Chapel in Wicken Bonhunt which is on private land and therefore inaccessible, which is a shame as the Norman features look fascinating but even more annoying was the angle of the sun.
From British History Online: Chapel of St. Helen, at Bonhunt Farm, ¾ m. E. of the church, now desecrated and used as a stable. The walls are built of flint and pebble rubble, patched, and in parts rebuilt with brick; the dressings are of limestone and clunch; the roof is covered with thatch. The chapel, consisting of Chancel and Nave, was built in the second half of the 12th century. It was apparently repaired in the 13th century. The E. wall of the chancel and the N.W. angle of the nave, with various minor repairs, are modern.
Architectural Description - The Chancel (15½ ft.
by 10¼ ft.) has a modern E. window. In the N. wall
is a small 12th-century window with rebated jambs
and semi-circular head. In the S. wall is a similar
window. The chancel-arch has been removed and
the internal angles of the chancel rebuilt with
modern brick.
The Nave (22 ft. by 14¾ ft.) has two windows in
the N. wall; the eastern is of the 12th century, and
similar to those in the chancel, but apparently
much restored at a later date; the western window
is modern. Between them is a modern doorway
with several 13th-century moulded stones, re-set
in the head. In the N.W. corner are re-set part
of a circular shaft with a carved foliage-capital
of the 12th century, found during some recent
repairs. In the S. wall is a 12th-century window,
much altered, with a modern head. Further W. is
the blocked S. doorway with a semi-circular arch,
all modern, except some 12th-century internal
voussoirs. In the W. wall is a round window,
externally quatrefoiled and probably of the 12th
century.
The Roofs are modern, but contain a number of
old timbers, re-used.
Fittings—Piscina: In nave—built into E. jamb
of N.E. window, of pillar form with stop-chamfered
angles and round basin. Miscellanea: In nave—
scratched on W. external jamb of S. window,
Sundial.
CHAPEL OF ST HELEN, Bonhunt Farm, 3/4 m. E. A complete Norman chapel of nave and chancel with a number of plain original windows.
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