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St Peter,
Guestwick
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This
remote village is guarded by a large and
curiously arranged church. There isn't another in
Norfolk like it. At first sight, it appears that
the tower was built on the north side of the
chancel, and yet, a closer look tells you that
the tower is older than the church. How has this
come about?
The tower is that of a vanished church. At one
time, it was a cruciform building with a central
tower, quite possibly late Saxon in origin. You
can see the ghost of the vanished chancel arch on
the east side of the tower, and that of the tower
arch to the west. It may be that there never was
a north transept - certainly, that to the south,
where the chancel is now, was added in the 12th
Century. However, the whole church was rebuilt
anew in the 15th Century immediately to the south
of the old one, a typical Perpendicular affair
with aisles and a clerestory, only retaining the
old tower. The north aisle is on the line of the
original nave. The top part of the tower is
contemporary with the new church.Like most
East Anglian Perpendicular churches, it underwent
a fairly substantial 19th Century restoration,
but it is a harmonious interior, full of light,
and retaining some old woodwork, although the
great nave roof is part of the restoration. The
font is 15th Century, made new for the new
church, and the panels hold old shields with the
symbols of some Saints, the Holy Trinity and the
Instruments of the Passion.
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But the star of the show
here is obviously the fine collection of 15th
Century stained glass. The fragments have been
reassembled in two windows in the north aisle,
and like the font were probably made for the new
church. The figures include most of a feathered
angel playing a harp, as well as a fine St
Catherine. There are two bishops, one given the
head of an old man by its restorers. Fragments
include the head of a Christ Child and the arm
and staff of the St Christopher who is carrying
him. The are the two hands of an infant Christ as
Salvatore Mundi, one holding an orb. An ugly head
wearing a cowl was probably intended by our
anti-semitic forebears as a Jew at the
flagellation or crucifixion of Christ.
This medieval splendour must not
distract us from the fact that Guestwick has that
rarest of beasts, a very fine millennium window.
It depicts the wildlife of the parish, and is the
work of Adam O'Grady, who installed it over a
period of nearly ten years. The great fortune of
Guestwick is that he lives in the parish.
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Simon Knott, April 2017
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