Hidden in the countryside of the Norfolk Breckland - a place of worship, history, family stories, and relaxation
Open Every Day 2pm to 4pm
Click here to view our upcoming eventsSt Mary’s church is looking to expand our friendlyteam of guides as we move to the busy summer visitor season. St Mary’s team of guides were nationally praised for their welcoming and knowledgeable reception to visitors, becoming runnersup in last year’s National Churches Trust’s “Open for Visitors” awards.
The church is open to visitors every day from 2 to 4 pm. So, if you have a couple of hours to spare each week, or even less frequently, to offer our visitors please contact jwhigham@btinternet.com You will be fully trained about the history of the church and its internationally important wall paintings.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The church of St Mary, Houghton-on-the-Hill is one of the most remarkable early churches in East Anglia. Hidden down a bridleway in the rural Norfolk Brecks and close to Peddars Way, its flint walls guarded and guided its villagers for almost a thousand years.
Today it is visited by hundreds of people each year, coming from all parts of the globe, and regularly hosts tours, school visits and special events. However, this has not always been the case…
Little did the villagers know that underneath several layers of plaster survived ancient wall paintings, described by Pevsner in 1999 as "of extraordinary importance". The east wall features, as its centrepiece, the earliest known depiction of the Throne of Grace and the whole wall is a type of Last Judgement, but with a God centred Trinity rather than the more usual Majesty of Christ. The other nave walls were also painted – all dating back to the construction of the church around 1090 or perhaps earlier.
Find out more...Google Maps Plus Code: JQ75+HQ Swaffham