St Mary the Virgin - Wiggenhall - Norfolk - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

This church became redundant in November 1982 and is in the care of The churches Conservation Trust.

The church is constructed in carstone and brick. The aisles have lead roofs, and the nave and chancel are slated. Its plan consists of a nave with a clerestory and North and south aisles, a south porch, a chancel and a west tower
Its architectural style is Perpendicular, and it is said to be a "fine example" of this style. The tower is in three stages, and has angle buttresses and stair turrets. In the lowest stage is a west window in Perpendicular style. The middle stage contains lancet windows. In the top stage are two-light Perpendicular bell openings. The parapet is battlemented.
The east and west windows of the aisles contain three-light Perpendicular windows, and in their side walls are two-light windows. The south porch is in brick and it has a tunnel vault. Above the exterior doorway is a sundial dated 1742. On both sides of the porch are two-light Perpendicular windows. The south door dates from the 13th century, and has two orders of columns. The clerestory has five windows on each side. On the north side is another 13th-century door with two orders of columns. The chancel contains two two-light windows on the south side, and one similar window and a priest's door on the north side. The Perpendicular east window has four lights.

Inside the church are five-bay arcades between the nave and the aisles. The chancel contains a piscina. The dado of the chancel screen, which dates from a period between about 1500 and 1525, is in two bays on each side. Each side is divided into two panels, all of which contain paintings of saints.
The pulpit dates from the early 17th century and has an associated reading desk and sounding board. In the southeast of the church is a parclose screen dating from the early 16th century which has a frieze of Perpendicular tracery. The font cover dated 1625 is elaborate. It consists of four columns supporting an arcade with pendants, and has a conical roof with a ball finial on which is a vulning pelican.
The brass lectern is dated 1518. The benches date from about 1500, or earlier, and are carved with pierced patterns, tracery, figures of saints in niches, crenellated buttresses, animals and poppyheads.


The church tower houses six bells the oldest dating 1638.The porch dates from 1400c it has a stone barrel-vaulted roof,with a sundial dated 1742 and the name of the church warden.

The benches on the south side date froma round 1400 and the north side 1500 These carved bench ends are considered to be among the most remarkable and complete in the country.
The rood screen has lost the upper part but the remaining is a fine example of medieaval work.
The pulpit is 17th century Jacobean work. There are partial medieval stained glass windows remains.

The fine monument in the south chapelis to Henry Kervile,the last of the family who died in 1624. He and his wife are shown in repose alabaster effigies -he in ruff and armour and she in ruff and hood farthingale with mantle. Below them is the figures of a girl and boy, the later in chrisom cloths who died in infancy, The Kervile arms [ three leopard's faces with a chevron between].

The font and 1625 font cover with the pelican in her piety.

above details from the churches conservation trust leaflet.

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1290 Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Multi denomination If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: From: 10:00 AM To: 4:00 PM Street address of Church: St Mary The Virgin Church Wiggenhall, Norfolk United KIngdom Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Not listed Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: Not Listed Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed

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