St Mary's Church, Roughton
St Mary's Church, Roughton

Roughton village sits astride the A140, about three miles south of Cromer. Despite its proximity to a major road, the parish church of St Mary seems an oasis of tranquillity, a late-Saxon building seemingly lost in time. The church is worth visiting primarily for its striking round tower, erected in the late Saxon period.

History

The Domesday Book records that the manor of Roughton was owned by Wulfnoth Godwinson, King Harold's brother, at the time of the Norman invasion in 1066. It is entirely possible that Godwinson was responsible for building the round tower.

It seems likely that Roughton had two manors, with two priests sharing the same church. In 1183 the nunnery at Bungay was granted the advowson of Roughton. On the north side of the chancel is a blocked doorway that may have once led to a chantry chapel, now vanished.

By the late 16th century, Roughton church was in a state of decay, with the chancel roof open to the sky above. The church was only repaired in the early years of the 17th century. Between 1862 and 1881 the vicar of Roughton was Reverend Sayers, the grandfather of novelist Dorothy Sayers. He became the rector of Roughton in 1866 when the benefices were merged.

The 14th-century font
The 14th-century font

Historical Highlights

I've already mentioned the striking round tower. Though we don't know precisely when it was built, it is certainly a product of the 11th century. The base section is built with a typical late-Saxon herringbone pattern, with alternate bands of stone slanting in different directions.

The base is pierced with two small, circular window openings, facing north and south. There is a small window in the west face and a larger opening for the belfry, framed by local ferricrete (iron-bound conglomerate) stone. The tower is topped by a 15th-century parapet made of flint and brick.

Saxon herringbone stonework in the tower base
Saxon herringbone stonework in the tower base

You can still see quoins delineating the original width of the Saxon church in the west wall of the nave. The Saxon building was later expanded by the addition of a south aisle and, even later, a north aisle.

The chancel dates to around the 14th century, with a lovely traceried east window of that period, while the south porch is from the 15th century. The porch is built with white flint, creating a striking contrast with the earlier stonework.

The interior highlight is a series of grotesque carved corbel heads supporting the clerestory windows. Other highlights include the beautifully-carved font, crafted in the 14th century. In the north aisle are a pair of 17th-century grave slabs, carved with a memento mori, or symbols of mortality, in the form of skulls and hourglasses.

Grotesque medieval corbel head
Grotesque medieval corbel head

In the chancel is a blocked doorway that may have formed part of the original Saxon church. There is also a medieval piscina in the south aisle.

Visiting

St Mary's stands at the end of Church Loke, off the A140 (Norwich Road) at the southern edge of Roughton. The word 'loke' is a regional word meaning a short, narrow lane with a dead end. In this case, the dead end is beside the churchyard. There is limited parking along the verge. The church was open when we visited and, to the best of our knowledge, is open daily to visitors.

About Roughton, St Mary's Church
Address: Church Loke, Roughton, Norfolk, England, NR11 8SZ
Attraction Type: Historic Church
Location: At the end of Church Loke, a narrow lane at the southern edge of Roughton village, off the A140. Parking along the verge.
Website: Roughton, St Mary's Church
Location map
OS: TG220365
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express


HERITAGE

HeritageWe've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned.

Historic Time Periods:

Saxon

Find other attractions tagged with:

11th century (Time Period) - Domesday Book (Historical Reference) - King Harold (Person) - round tower (Architecture) - Saxon (Time Period) -


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