St Peter & St Paul
WendlingAbout the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Wendling
St. Peter and St. Paul Church is a beautiful hidden gem of a Norfolk Church which lies down a secluded wooded lane to the north of the village. You can park by the gate and then walk down the shingled path to the Church, passing established hollies and yew. Although the A47 road is nearby, as you step on the path, the sounds of the cars fade, birdsong takes over and it becomes easy to reflect on the many hundreds of years of Christian worship centred around this building.
The Church is a mix of styles from different centuries and retains a West Tower, complete with gargoyles, which dates to the 14th century, a 15th century South Transept and a Nave mostly built with brown flints. There is a shallow south porch between the two Nave windows, inside which is a carved stone head above the door, which is thought to date to Norman times.
Of particular note is the font, which is one of the Seven Sacrament fonts, a speciality of East Anglia. Only 40 of these fonts remain, 25 of which are in Norfolk.
The traditional graveyard contains the recently rededicated grave of the renowned photographer Robert Howlett, one of the first professional photographers in Britain. There are informative booklets about Robert, researched and written by Rose Teanby, available in the Church, and she has a website page about his grave restoration project.
Wendling Church became a festival Church in April 2018 when attendance at the monthly service became critically low and there ceased to be a functioning PCC. However, the Church remains open and can be viewed by borrowing the key from Church Farm, just next door. The Church remains open for baptisms, weddings and funerals and occasional services and it is hoped in time that there will be a demand for the monthly services to be reinstated.
Please contact Reverend Julia Hemp: 01362 861380
reverendjulia@gmail.com
