Welcome to St. Mary's Church

Thank you for a wonderful afternoon. It was so exciting driving up the lane to the church and then finding so much more than I expected in this beautiful, isolated location. And I was expecting much from reading about the early rarity of these wall paintings! What an unusual churchyard, and then so peaceful to walk into the wilder area and find the bench overlooking the fields. Kate, our guide, conjured up the nearby village that existed up until the 1930s and then explained the alterations to the church that had taken place over the last 1000 years - visibly evidenced in the brickwork and the uncovered foundation stones outside. Although the revealing of the Saxon wall paintings is partial, (respecting the layers that came after), is sometimes faint, sometimes therefore speculative, what can be seen is this explosive, and much larger than I'd imagined...- just wonderful!

Today it's one of the most important churches in East Anglia, attracting visitors and academics from all over the world, but it was only discovered by chance during a WI walk over 27 years ago

Beautiful! Such a special place.

The most wonderful feeling in this church. Long may it flourish!

What a privilege to be here and have such a lovely guided tour. Very special. Thank you!

A truly wonderful peaceful church steeped in so much history. Renovation is second to none and was brought to life totally by very knowledgeable and interesting guide.

A fascinating place thanks to one man's devotion

Revealed in the 1990s during the repair of a semi-derelict, ivy-strewn church in Norfolk, the paintings at Houghton on the Hill, near South Pickenham, are the most extensive scheme of early wall paintings to have survived

As with the architectural fabric, there is evidence of an Anglo-Saxon hand in the paintings on the east wall. Most obvious, perhaps, is the quatrefoil, on the Father's knee. The quatrefoil is a rarity in Romanesque art, but a common feature in pre-conquest England.

The paintings … have caused ripples of excitement in art-historical circles, due to their exceptionally early date and extremely rare subject matter.

Well worth a visit and lovely walking area as well

Fantastic and historical place. The trustees are very knowledgeable and interesting

Stunning little church with amazing voluntary local guides. Every time I have visited there is always someone waiting for visitors and I'm always astonished at how many people turn up. The murals on all the wall are said to the be the oldest in Europe - it is fascinating to see what the church may have been like hundreds of years ago. The church itself has many different build and roof levels/wall changes/window changes and so on - Roman, Saxon, Medieval... and the stories that go with it are captivating. It really is worth seeking out and making a visit. I love it here.

"Whoever you are who has made such an oasis in the middle of nowhere, may God truly bless you. Such a haven of peace that only He can give. Thank you"