Saint Mary The Virgin - Beachamwell



Saint Mary The Virgin - Beachamwell

Saint Mary The Virgin - Beachamwell - is a real surprise as you see it for the first time. The site resembles a Church and graveyard in the North of England as they sit in a small enclosure on a large village green. Almost like being in County Durham rather than in Norfolk.

The Church was firmly locked and tantalisingly there was a notice advising that the key was held nearby. Unlike other experiences of locked Churches, such as Sporle, I decided to look for the key from a local address. The map on the Church door seemed to be clear and I set off on an adventure. Regrettably, the map wasn't to scale and the Anglican Authorities have imagined that visitors know the village and understand where places are. If only locals wanted the key then they wouldn't need a map. I tried to ring the 'phone numbers from my mobile although as with remote areas of Norfolk there was no signal. Tension and frustration mounted until I finally gave up. I walked up and down the street a number of times without success or being able to find a mobile 'phone signal.

The graveyard is unremarkable and I didn't spend long there after  fizzing with disappointment for a short while. The Anglican Authorities have cleared away anything that was interesting and left behind a melange of rather sad1930's  memorials.

Saint Mary The Virgin - Beachamwell
The Porch

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Saint Mary The Virgin - Beachamwell
Table or Chest tomb

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Saint Mary The Virgin - Beachamwell
An unremarkable graveyard and an inaccessible interior

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All Saints - Beachamwell

All Saints - Beechamwell

The ruined Church of All Saints - Beachamwell, is the sort of site that I really like. It is romantic, fragile and away from the crowds. The Church is also ruined and the sort of place that would be included in a 'lost graveyard' report.

The site is dramatic and out of the way down a footpath and on a slight rise in the land. All Saints is ruined, vulnerable and momentarily dramatic as it finally falls into the same ground from which it arose. The flints that forms the remaining walls are seperating from each other and on a hot day in June 2012 it was hard to see where the walls began and ended. The wind blew through the site and the wild grasses rustled in an evocative sort of way.

The outline of the Church was evident from walking the site and the lumps and bumps of the field were noticed underfoot. There were no burials evident amongst the grasses and I'm sure that even if there were stone memorials they have long gone as the locals robbed the site of building materials for the world of the living. The remaining walls have plants colonising the mortar and the the wild flowers help the final stages of dissolution.




All Saints - Beachamwell
Crumbling walls in a sea of grass

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All Saints - Beachamwell
"Big sky country"

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All Saints - Beachamwell

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Saint John -Beachamwell

Saint John -Beechamwell

The village of Beachamwell is blessed by the presence of the two ruined Churches of All Saints and Saint John. Both Churches are in the process of being swallowed by the Earth that provided the materials for their construction. Saint John has a tower that speaks to the traveller across the fields even if the voice is now ever so quiet with the passing of time.

There is no obvious graveyard at this site with any memorials having disappeared years ago as is the way with such things

Saint John -Beachamwell
Crumbling walls in a sea of sheep

© Godric Godricson



© Godric Godricson


 

Saint John -Beachamwell
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