St Margaret, Burnham Norton

St Margaret’s is a Grade I round-tower parish church on Bellamy’s Lane, Burnham Norton, Norfolk, in the Diocese of Norwich and the Burnhams Benefice.

Overview

Historic England lists a parish church with an eleventh- to twelfth-century west round tower, thirteenth-century nave and aisles, fifteenth-century details and clerestory, and a thirteenth- and fourteenth-century chancel, in flint with stone dressings and slate roofs. The tower has a partly blocked west axial window, narrow round-headed lancets, a belfry stage of six round-headed openings with flint-block quoins, and a battlemented parapet. The listing records evidence of the original twelfth-century nave west gable. The south aisle has an early Decorated doorway and Perpendicular windows; the north porch is the usual entrance.

Simon Knott and Wikipedia note one of Norfolk’s imposing round towers, possibly late Saxon or early Norman, with later aisles and a raised nave. The mid-fifteenth-century hexagonal wineglass pulpit has painted panels of the Four Latin Doctors and donors John and Katherine Goldalle. There is a 1458 rood screen, a square Norman font, Trena Cox glass of St Margaret of Antioch and St Margaret of Scotland, and William III royal arms. A sympathetic nineteenth-century restoration left the aisles and west nave largely clear of seating.

Further Information

• Historic England list entry 1238877
• Burnhams Benefice
• Norfolk Churches: Burnham Norton