Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk

When it was founded in 1107, the Norfolk house at Wymondham was a Benedictine priory dependent on St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire. Over the next 30 years a vast church boasting 12 bays was built from imported Caen stone, together with the usual domestic buildings for the monks. During the 14th century the original Norman tower was demolished and a new octagonal central tower was erected. A major building programme commenced in the 1440s as a result of a long-running dispute between the parishioners and the Priory. Eventually the two low Norman towers at the western end of the church were taken down and replaced by a new west tower to house the parish bells, a new clerestory was added to the nave, and a beautiful oak hammer-beam roof was installed.

In 1448 Wymondham was raised to the status of an abbey, but just 90 years later it was closed down at the Dissolution and much of the choir was demolished, along with virtually all of the monastic buildings. The surviving half of Wymondham Abbey church, comprising the nave and its aisles, and the two towers, are still in use today as the parish church. And what a beautiful, and surprising, survival it is. Externally it appears to be a 15th century building, constructed mostly of local flint, but once inside the full glory of the rich cream-coloured French stone can be appreciated in the splendid Romanesque nave.

Although completely restored at the beginning of the 20th century it retains the distinct look and feel of a Norman building. Cleverly complimented by the later, heavily carved oak ceiling supported by over seventy angels, and by the further addition of a modern gilded altar screen that now provides the main focal point of the church, it is a wonderful blend of craftsmanship that spans almost 900 years.

Back outside Wymondham Abbey, it is interesting to trace the foundations of the original east end of the church, and to discover the remaining fragments of some of the domestic buildings used by the monks. Even by today's standards it is an imposing church, the two unusual towers dominating the flat, Norfolk countryside for miles around. It is also a lovely ruin, situated on the edge of town but confined within the boundaries of the churchyard. The absolute peace was quite noticeable when we visited, but history tells us that this was not always the case. Shortly after the Dissolution, a local wealthy tradesman led a rebellion against the religious and social changes imposed by Henry VIII, and his actions resulted in him being hanged at Norwich Castle. His brother however was hanged from the west tower of Wymondham Abbey.