Here we are in the pleasant south-western suburbs of the city of Norwich, and Eaton is within the city boundaries. As such, this means that St Andrew is the last surviving thatched church in the city. Today, it is surrounded by development, but twenty years ago it was backed by open countryside. To see it from the north, or from the supermarket car park next door, you might be struck by how the long nave and chancel, all in one, are so very much older than the elegant late Perpendicular tower against which they stand. Closer to, the windows reveal a late 12th century building.
If you think that St Andrew is little more than a subsumed medieval village church, however, you are in for something of a surprise. This unfolds as you make your way around to the south side, for there, hidden from the road, is one of the most dramatic extensions on any Norfolk medieval church. Three pointed prows point away from each other, and finish in dropped, angled glass curtains. The relationship between church and extension is fine, although the join itself is not a wholly comfortable one.
The Extension
The extension is a good one, full of light. You step into it through the former south doorway, and so it effectively creates a second, separate church, a contrast with the contemporary extension at the medieval parish church of Kesgrave in the suburbs of Ipswich, where the entire south wall was removed and a similarly dramatic, boat-like extension added. The lights of the lower part of the south window are successively blocked, creating a dramatic backdrop to the simple altar. If this was a Catholic church, there would probably have been an attempt to make the altar more central, but here, the clean, fresh lines are thoroughly traditional. As if to set the Anglican seal, the royal arms formerly in the old church have been reset on the gallery above the south door.
This information was taken from the fantastic website, Norfolkchurches.co.uk and more photos and info can be found here:
Please note that the cache is not located in the church grounds but is open for public worship so feel free to pop in for a visit!
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