St Mary, Burnham Deepdale

St Mary’s is a Grade II* round-tower parish church on the A149 at Burnham Deepdale, north Norfolk, in the Diocese of Norwich, open daily from 9am to dusk, famed for its Norman font of the Labours of the Months.

Overview

Historic England lists the church (1237969, Grade II*, 5 June 1953). The listing describes an eleventh-century tower, a twelfth-century north door, a fourteenth-century interior, and late nineteenth-century exterior details and north vestry, in flint with nineteenth-century stone dressings. The west round tower has a set-off to a slightly narrower upper stage, round-headed openings, and a triangular-headed opening above the tower arch. The north door of about 1190 was re-erected in the north aisle. The three-bay fourteenth-century north arcade has octagonal piers and double hollow-chamfered arches.

The important twelfth-century rectangular font, re-erected on nineteenth-century piers, shows the twelve months’ labours on three sides and Trees of Life on the fourth. Restorations of 1875 and 1898 produced arched-braced nave and chancel roofs. Wikipedia and the listing associate the 1870s reconstruction with Frederick Preedy. Rood figures of 1932 are by Sir Walter Tapper. Fifteenth-century glass fragments are collected in the porch and other windows. The north aisle, demolished in 1776, was rebuilt in the nineteenth century, preserving the medieval arcade.

Further Information

• Historic England list entry 1237969
• St Mary’s Burnham Deepdale
• Wikipedia: St Mary's Church, Burnham Deepdale