Anglo-Saxon church saved from demolition, one man's battle still needs your support.

Our group, members of *Ða Engliscan Gesiðas (Old English for "The English Companions") which visited the Church of St. Mary the Virgin thought to have been founded by *St. Felix, circa AD 630, consisted of my wife Karen and myself from Canada, Robert Boos from the USA and fellow member and local tutor in Anglo-Saxon Studies, John Chatwin. Our visit turned out to be a moment of profound discovery upon learning about the history of this otherwise obscure building that England almost lost forever.

It was the 28th of October, 2001 at about ten-o-clock in the morning when we arrived and were introduced to Robert Davey by John. This was one of the places of interest on John's itinerary that, acting as "tour guide" to our small group, he thought we would be interested in looking at some Anglo-Saxon wall paintings.

The man who single-handedly rescued this treasure trove is Robert Davey. A local resident in the nearby village of North Pickenham, Robert learned to his dismay of the Parochial Church Councils' intention to bulldoze and reduce the ancient Anglo-Saxon Church of St. Mary into a heap of rubble. A number of adjacent 17th century tenement cottages had already met this fate and as a result of Robert's knowledge of this church, he immediately took action that would give the church a "stay of execution". He made it known to the local council and anyone else who would listen of the grim fate ready to befall this church and was successful in having them intervene.

Since that time ten years ago and before I share with you what we learnt that day, more of Robert Davey's personal struggle needs to be told. In those early days of convincing the land owner to think again and support him, Robert's next task was to evict a local group who were using the church for their black magic rituals. The tomb of the Reverent Robert Say, which lies in front of the altar, had already been broken into and his long bones and skull had been removed, presumably for use in their satanic worship rituals. This satanic worship group vigorously opposed Robert's efforts to remove and deter them from setting foot on the grounds. Many a time Robert would have to stand in the middle of the access track-way, without assistance, resolutely blocking their approach with the resultant threats being assailed upon him until a final showdown was orchestrated.

Unknown to this group, Robert was offered help by a local Territorial Army sergeant and four of his regulars. The plan was set and the sergeant and his men lay in wait. As the satanic group approached the church yet again for a showdown on this particular night and concentrating on Robert's lone stance in the middle of the track, suddenly and without warning, from out behind some nearby bushes rose the large frame of the 6'2" sergeant and his men, eerily silhouetted against the light of the full moon.

The offending group were immediately taken by surprise and in the words of Robert, "scattered in all directions like a flock of birds". For a while after, threatening phone calls were received and on one occasion one of these bullies turned up at his door and placed a curse on Robert's life. Since those lonely days and in spite of the curse, Robert continues to thrive and is determined as ever to realize his dream to see the total restoration of this unique church.

The church of St. Mary the virgin has been a place of worship for well over 1,000 years and is one of three area churches thought to have been founded by St. Felix circa 630 AD, the other two are at Cockley Cley and Caldicot. This early church is estimated to have been rebuilt between 950AD and the early 11th century. These three churches were all situated upon evidence of Neolithic finds and geographically form a straight line which, if extended, align with the standing stones of Avebury and Stonehenge. It is not the purpose here, however, to speculate upon the existence of ley-lines although there would have been a motive to Christianise local sites that had long been associated with heathen worship or activity by surmounting them eventually with a church. This practice very much ties in with the advice from Pope Gregory the Great to St. Augustine that "the fanes (shrines) of the idols should very seldom be destroyed" so that the converts "can assemble at the places which they are accustomed to come to". Today, St. Mary the Virgin stands alone on top of the hill at Houghton but it was once at the centre of a settlement, which had its origins in the late Stone Age. The present church has been built on top of Roman foundations, under which have been found evidence of a Neolithic line of huts. The Roman road, the Peddars Way, passed very close to this site and there is a large quantity of Roman brick that has been reused in the present church that may have come from a known nearby villa.

The first church on this site was built circa 630 and consisted of a nave with a chancel that was 14 feet long and was apsidal ended (rounded). Between 950 and the early 11th century most of the nave was demolished and the present surviving one built. The original chancel was then lengthened in the 15th century to 26 feet in length and given a square end. This chancel survived until the 1760's when it was then considered to be in a ruinous state and was demolished and the present chancel was built. There are two nave altars either side of the nave arch which were used for low mass, these are presently enclosed but originally they would have been open allowing the congregation to view the proceedings inside the chancel. These two low mass altars either side of the chancel arch represent a decidedly rare surviving Celtic influence for an English church and is thought to be a surviving part of the original church that was built circa 650 AD. The rest of the original chancel, long since demolished, was slightly narrower than the nave. It appears to have been bonded into the east end of the nave showing that they were built at the same time (c). This can just be seen at (d) where the surviving masonry breaks the surface of the ground. Remains of the east end foundation below ground level have recently been discovered and confirm that the chancel had a semi-circular or apsidal east end as this was normal practice in the 10th century.

There is also evidence of a Romano-British rounded chancel within the Anglo Saxon chancel. Of special interest is the Anglo-Saxon keyhole arch in front of the altar - thought to be one of only two examples in England. The other example can be found at St. Olaf's chapel in Gloucestershire.

As previously mentioned, the present nave is estimated to have been built as early as the 10th century. The small round-headed, double-splayed windows of the north and south walls (a) are typical of this period. Another visible clue to the early dating of this part of the building is the use of 'long and short' work at the corners of the nave, together with the re-used Roman brick, which look like very thick tiles. The original roofline of the nave can be seen on the north side of the west wall (b) and the south side of the east wall (c). The semi-circular arch between the chancel and the nave also dates from this period. The tower is estimated to have been built in the 14th century or earlier, replacing a typically Anglo-Saxon round tower style for this area. Evidence for the round tower is apparently the higher arch leading into the tower.

Robert had always considered the pedestal to be low in height and it was not until recent excavations in the nave that the missing upper section was discovered buried in the middle of the floor! It must have been buried there for some considerable time as it is in a noticeably better state of preservation than the other sections of the pedestal. Why it was buried and why in the middle of the nave floor will remain one of the mysteries surrounding the history of this church. The present bell in the tower was cast in 1631 at Whitechapel, London by C.J. Mears who are still casting bells today. When Robert rescued this church it was completely covered in ivy and the roofs of the nave and the chancel were in ruins before the initial work began. Norfolk County Council supervised the clearance of the ivy, repair and replacement of the roofs, and repair and re-pointing of the walls, including rebuilding the top section of the east gable. This repair work was jointly funded by Norfolk County Council, English Heritage and Breckland District Council. The churchyard is maintained by local people who have become involved as a result of Robert's dogged determination and enthusiasm.

The adjacent remains of the medieval village of Houghton are just visible as bumps in the field north of the church. By the mid-eighteenth century the village was described as "only a farm or two and a cottage or two". The church was finally abandoned in the middle of the twentieth century.

The most striking aspect of this church is the mass of wall paintings that are thought to date anywhere from AD 950 to the early 11th century and can be viewed on all the walls of the nave. In particular, there are three main scenes, which are the Seat of Mercy Trinity, the Harrowing of Hell and the Creation of Eve.

The Seat of Mercy Trinity painting above the chancel arch is a very rare image - God is enthroned in the centre and on his knee is a cross. This depiction of a cross on God's knee is the only such representation known in England and the earliest example in Europe can be found in Rheims cathedral but is dated much later to AD 1130 - this date being supported by documentation at Rheims. Below God's right hand is the smaller image of Christ in front of the throne and above this is a dove representing the holy ghost. This striking wall painting represents the earliest known example of a surviving wall painting showing the Trinity in this way in both the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

To the left of the Trinity is another scene showing St. Peter presiding over the dead rising from their graves, presumably on Judgement Day. There are also circles or roundels showing prophets holding scrolls, and angels on either side of the chancel arch. About 50% of the wall painting showing the Last Supper is visible - the other part being obscured by a later layer of medieval painted plaster.

Click on any of the Images to Enlarge East Gable: Resurrection scene & left-hand portion of Jesus and his Apostles set within roundels Resurrection Scene West Gable: Satan disposing of a sinner into a pit North Wall: God in the Garden of Eden creating Eve

The main scene on the West gable depicts the Harrowing of Hell and shows Satan disposing of a sinner into a pit. Also of special note in dating this wall painting is the representation of Peter at the Last Supper looking glum or miserable, being the betrayer of Christ. It is not until the 13th century that he is depicted with a more pleasant disposition. In this wall painting, Gabriel's wings are shown without feathers which is also a strong indication of the early dating of this work. Another part depicts the Creation of Eve in the Garden of Eden and includes the Tree of Knowledge. In this, Adam is lying on the ground while Eve is shown with her arms outstretched before her, hands clasped together, in an act of homage to God.

The remains of *Herluin, a high ranking Anglo-Saxon Thegn are buried here. According to a local charter dating to the reign of Edward the Confessor, he held Houghton as part of an extensive royal estate that included several villages. Herluin was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25th 1066 and his body was brought back here to be buried alongside the outer north wall of the nave. His remains were recently uncovered to reveal a man tall in stature where they still remain in situ.

As an aside to what I have learned of the history of this fascinating church there are some other "aspects" that are perhaps of curiosity. This church does seem to evoke a sense of presence and we are sure there still remains much to discover. Robert mentioned of the time when two ladies, who were sitting inside the church, commented that there was a lack of adequate light inside. He had gone to retrieve something and upon his return the ladies exclaimed that they were not told the church had electric lighting. What these ladies had witnessed was the occasional phenomenon that the interior fills with a brilliant light - a light that has no discernable source and lasts for several seconds!
If that makes you skeptical, there was also the time one afternoon in the churchyard when Robert was approached by a visitor wanting to know who the rude official was whom had ignored his questions and continued to walk away.
"Were you on the south side of the chancel and was he dressed in a robe?" Robert enquired.
"Yes", replied the visitor.
"Ah", said Robert, "You have just encountered the ghost of the Carmelite Friar, I've seen him four times myself."
Upon hearing this I cautiously enquired, "How real does this Carmelite Friar look?"
"Well" says Robert, as we were standing on the very spot, "as real as I'm looking at you."

*Felix of Dunwich D. 647
A native of Burgundy who became a bishop in Gaul and who offered himself to work for the conversion of the East Angles.
In 630, Sigeberht, their king, came back from exile and the work began.
St. Felix undertook the mission with the approval of St.Honorius of Canterbury and placed his episcopal See at Dunwich, now washed away by the sea.
He preached with great success in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire opening schools on the French model.
He is the veritable apostle of the East Angles.
In art he is shown vested as a bishop having three rings on his right hand.

N.B. i. It is thought that St. Felix was the founder but it should be noted that both himself and St. Fursa were active at this time, converting the East Angles to Christianity at the invitation of King Siegeberht of the East Angles.

*N.B. ii Herluin, whose remains are buried alongside the north wall of the nave, is found entered in the Doomsday Book and recorded as having been killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. However the D.B. contains many errors and the name Herluin is not recognized as an Anglo-Saxon name. The foreign chronicler most likely entered the Frankish version of the Thegn's name whose Anglo-Saxon name in all likelihood would be Herewine, meaning "army friend" or Eorlwine, meaning "noble friend".
*N.B.iii Ða Engliscan Gesiðas

English Heritage has declared the Church of St. Mary as a Grade 1 building although they do not own the building or the grounds. English Heritage, Norfolk County Council, Norfolk Historic Churches Trust and a local company (WREN), in the waste re-cycling business, have in the past offered financial support.

Funding needs to come from the public at large and especially those of us who recognize the unique character of St. Mary as a surviving part of Anglo-Saxon heritage and as a unique cultural porthole to those times.

The church of St. Mary remains a consecrated church and is in the care of Bishop Graham, Bishop of Norwich.

Present projects in need of immediate funding are: Make a donation now

As the church is locked the interior may be visited by arrangement. Groups, even small groups are preferred. Please contact Robert at: (0)1760-440470

Robert Davey, the man who rescued this fascinating treasure is the administrator of the registered charity - The Friends of St. Marys Church. Please show your support by making a donation and/or write a letter of support to Robert that will enable him to demonstrate the broad level of interest when pleading for financial aid from other sources.