St Mary's in Great Blakenham is a small, rustic church where people have worshipped for over 900 years.
Like most medieval churches it has seen many changes over its long history, as people from different times and traditions have altered, improved and left their mark upon it.
The oldest parts of the church are the nave and chancel which date back to the early Norman period (c.1070-1100). The tower was not added until over 200 years later (14th century).
At the Reformation during the mid 16th century the church changed considerably. Much of the colour and ornate carving from inside was removed. More damage was done by the Puritans in the 1640's, particularly to the paintings and stained glass. All parish churches were inspected by Cromwell's Parliament, to ensure that the removal of so-called superstitious imagery was complete.
It wasn't until the Victorian era that much needed improvements were made. The Reverend W.H.A. Erma, who was Rector from 1872 to 1876 was aware of how dilapidated and neglected the church had become and proposed a full-scale restoration. The walls were covered in lichen, the woodwork was decayed and the plaster ceilings were crumbling. Local fundraising in the form of a series of bazaars were held to raise money, with the restoration being completed in 1877.
This is a simple multi cache. Answer can be obtained by visiting the World War memorial in the churchyard. The physical cache is situated at N 52 06 9X5 E 001 05 555
Question 1. How many men with the surname 'Baker' are commererated on the World War Two plaque? Answer = X
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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.
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