Stained Glass - St.Mary the Virgin, High Street, Whissonsett, Dereham, Norfolk. NR20 5AP - Stained Glass Windows on Waymarking.com

The Parish Church, dedicated to St.Mary the Virgin, is Grade II* listed. It is of C14th Medieval date with later additions and heavily restored and repaired in 1873. Built of flint with ashlar dressings it has slate roofs and consists of a west tower, aisleless nave with south porch, and chancel with vestry and organ outshoot to the north.

The nave has C14th moulded north and south doorways and six heavily restored two-light windows in Perpendicular style. In the chancel, C19th, is an east window in Geometric style, two Y-traceried windows to the south and one to the north whilst the chancel arch is probably also C19th in Perpendicular style.

In the chancel are three C19th stained glass windows. The east window has six scenes from Christ's life; clockwise from top left - the birth, 'Mary and Joseph and the Babe' - the crucifixion, 'Son behold thy Mother' - the rising, 'He is Risen' - the raising of Lazarus, John 11:43, 'Lazarus come forth' - a raising from the dead, Luke 7:14, 'I say unto Thee, Arise' - another raising, Matthew 9:24, 'She is not Dead, but Sleeping'.

One of the south windows shows the Presentation in the Temple with Simeon holding Christ as he declaims the Nunc Dimittis. Mary looks on with Joseph behind her. He is clearly modelled on Edward VII, who was a generous patron to many churches in north-west Norfolk. The second south window shows the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary. The inserted C15th west window, in the ringing chamber, has fourteen C15th roundels of shields and patterns set into modern glass, one is a rather eastern-looking Christ - at the top row, second from left.

Words from British Listed Buildings and Pevsner's Norfolk 2 Buildings with amendments from own on site observations.

Coordinates are for the south porch entrance.