Gargoyles - St.Mary the Virgin, High Street, Whissonsett, Dereham, Norfolk. NR20 5AP
Posted by: 
greysman
N 52° 46.417 E 000° 50.604
31U E 354523 N 5849268
Four small gargoyles on the tower of the church.
Waymark Code: WMV9TG
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/20/2017
Views: 1
Witcingkeseta as it was known in the Domesday Book means either the settlement of the Witcing tribe or a place of watery meadows.
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 early C14th west tower has diagonal buttresses, two-light cusped Y-traceried bell openings and small quatrefoil lights to the second floor. The inserted C15th west window is of two lights and has an embattled transom. There is a C15th crenellated parapet with corner finials, flushwork and blind traceried panels with shields. There are four small gargoyles, one at each corner, all are of grotesque beast, the rain spouts usually fitted are not there / are missing. As to age, they could be original or placed there at the 1873 restoration. They look very similar in size to the gargoyles on St.Withburga's at Holkham.
Words from British Listed Buildings and Pevsner's Norfolk 2 Buildings with amendments from own on site observations.
Coordinates are for the tower.