# St Peter's church, North Burlingham (Norfolk)



## hamishsfriend (Mar 1, 2011)

The church had a round tower that collapsed in 1906 and the church was closed 30 years later. The chancel arch is offset to the left of the nave but is central to the chancel, the nave being built a foot further to the south. It was probably done intentionally to create a place for the pulpit in a remarkably narrow church. Some of the fittings have been removed to St. Andrew’s church about 200 yards to the west.


----------



## manof2worlds (Mar 1, 2011)

This one is top of my list for the next sunny Norfolk day - drive past this a lot.


----------



## hamishsfriend (Mar 1, 2011)

manof2worlds said:


> This one is top of my list for the next sunny Norfolk day - drive past this a lot.



It is one of the less sanitised ruins and hence more interesting.

PS - I have just posted a couple more that might be of interest as well.


----------



## Foxylady (Mar 5, 2011)

hamishsfriend said:


> It is one of the less sanitised ruins and hence more interesting.


That's what I love about sites like this. Going by your photos, it seems to have a lovely atmosphere too.


----------



## neill (Mar 5, 2011)

Nice Report. Does the ceiling still have the great wooden ceiling bosses? They were there some ten years ago, did you find any bits of human bones on the floor? There were odd bones around the place and a little pile of them in one corner!


----------



## hamishsfriend (Mar 5, 2011)

neill said:


> Nice Report. Does the ceiling still have the great wooden ceiling bosses? They were there some ten years ago, did you find any bits of human bones on the floor? There were odd bones around the place and a little pile of them in one corner!



I did not see any roof bosses and no bones either, apart from a barn owl's skeleton with a few feathers still sticking to it (on my first visit about 4 yrs ago). The lovely rood screen of this church has been moved to St Andrew's, a short distance down the road where it is now the tower screen but this was many years ago. 

Some bones can be seen at South Wootton (Norfolk) St Mary's church






If you'd like to see a head, go to Sudbury(Suffolk) St Gregory's






This is the mummified head of Simon of Sudbury who partially rebuilt the church in the 14th century and had a college of secular priests built on the adjoining site of his father's house. After studying civil law abroad he was made chaplain to Pope Innocent and Judge of the Roman Court. Back in England, the pope made him Chancellor of Salisbury. In 1361 he was consecrated Bishop of London and translated to the See of Canterbury in 1375. He was made Lord Chancellor of England under King Richard II and in this function Simon of Sudbury is considered to have been the principal author of the Poll Tax - and consequently extremely unpopular. When in 1381 the peasants revolted he took refuge in the Tower of London but the guards allowed the rebels through the gates. He was seized and dragged to Tower Hill, and subsequently beheaded. His body is buried in Canterbury Cathedral but his head, after having been on display on Tower Bridge for some time, was sent to his home town, where it has since been kept in a small glass-fronted cubicle in the vestry of St Gregory's, the church that he had helped to build.


----------

