St Peter sits hard against the busy Swaffham to Cromer road, a landmark site for a thousand years or more. It marks the northern end of Weasenham, a large, straggling village divided into two parishes, and there is another medieval church at the southern end of the village in a slightly more secluded setting. In days gone by, Weasenham St Peter was known as Lower Weasenham. Both Weasenham churches were considerably rebuilt. All Saints, at the other end of the village, was reconstructed in 1905, but St Peter underwent the privilege thirty years earlier. There is a photograph of the church on display inside which shows it on the eve of its restoration, and in all honesty it is hard to see much externally which survived from that time. Even the flushwork was reset and made crisp.
The path to the church climbs steeply from the busy road. For many years, this church was kept locked against visitors, but today it is open every day, and you let yourself in through the north porch into a warm, moderised interior.
Just as Weasenham All Saints up the road was rebuilt for Low Church congregational worship, so this place celebrated the Anglo-catholic tradition, and to an extent continues to do so. And, just as the other church has one great medieval survival in the form of its rood screen, so St Peter has its own survivals in the form of 15th Century glass. There is a beautiful figure of St Margaret dispatching her dragon, and in the next window a Norwich school angel. They were both originally set in upper window lights, and are now surrounded by fragments of contemporary tabernacle work. There is no way of knowing, of course, if they came from this church originally.
Turning to the east, you meet the delight of a splendid window by William Warrington. It commemorates someone who died in 1849, but can it really be that early? It is full of exuberant colour and details, and if the date is right then it preempts much of the enthusiasms of the mid-century Ecclesiological Movement. The central subject is a crucifixion, the Blessed Virgin, Mary Salome and St John looking on grief-stricken and Mary Magdalene burying her face in her hands. The same figure of Mary Magdalene appears to the left, an unusual scene of her pouring oil onto Christ's feet while a po-faced Judas looks on. On the right, rather more awkwardly, Christ welcomes the children. Above, St Peter and St Paul in sentry box-like tabernacles look up to the Blessed Virgin and Child. it is remarkably early work for such Anglo-catholic themes in early Norfolk. Above, there are angels and a shield of the Holy Trinity. I think this window is really rather wonderful, and appears little-known.
****************** ********************
For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
****************** *******************