Shaped By Saxons

As if having an ancient priory and castle, both dating back to the eleventh century, was not enough history for a small area; just three-quarters of a mile (1.2 Km) from Castle Rising's castle stands a church which is older than either of them - the late Saxon church of All Saint's in the parish of Newton.

It's had a few "modernisations", like the windows which probably date from the fourteenth century, but the tower and much of the rest of the church date from before the Norman Conquest. Now we've come this far we may as well continue round to the back.

The blocked-in doorway and the tiny infilled window between it and the tower are almost certainly from the original building. Roofs never last as long as stone walls and there are faint lines visible on this side of the tower that suggest that a steeper pitched roof was there in the past - and that usually means a thatched roof in this part of the world.

We can go inside too, though I warn you, don't expect anything grand; this is a primitive building from the early days of Christianity on these islands. Times when men like Ælfgar, Osgod Clapa and Thorkell the Tall were Jarls of East Anglia.

The pulpit and prayer desk are modern additions but everything else is simple and functional. (Photographer's disclaimer: if the walls don't look straight in these photos that's because they're not!). The dark square, up to the left of the arch, is a small door which would have led out to a rood-loft, an important feature of medieval churches which rarely survives today in complete form.

On the left is the simple font and on the right are the rood stairs which led up to the small door which we saw in the previous photo and presumably up to the top of the tower too. All that green around the font is the result of damp which is present in many parts of the church.

Here, for example are the steps, leading up to the rood stairs. For me the damp patches and flaking plaster all add atmosphere to this venerable building.

Above is the view through the arch, which supports the tower. towards the chancel. Snigger all you like at the crude, misshapen masonry of the walls, but it's still standing after a thousand years - those Saxons must have known what they were doing!

Search as ye may, you won't find a level surface or perfect perpendicular throughout the whole place.

A somewhat crudely executed royal coat of arms is a relatively recent addition, dating as it does from the days of George III who reigned from 1760 to 1820.

The single bellrope is looped around the handle of an elderly iron-clad chest.

The sun streams through the small plain-glass windows and illuminates the uneven brick flooring.

And, once outside again, we can peer up at the tower. Those openings at the top are similar to others I've seen in very old churches and allow that single clanging bell to ring out across the countryside and call the dairymaid and the ploughman to prayer. For this is the building of the common people. It lacks the imposing size of the castle and the intricate decoration of the priory, but unlike those grand institutions this shabby, crooked little church is still here today and still fulfilling its original purpose. 

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Now, just to finish off, I must take you back to when I was about twelve years old and we got our first television set. In the evenings we gathered round for the local news programme which was presented by a kindly, smiling man called Dick Joice. Even in those days he was a bit of an oddity: a man who was on TV, it seemed, not because he liked to see himself on the screen, but because he loved the region, its people and its history.

He was not the most polished presenter either: "We seem to have a bit of time left at the end of tonight's programme.....", and he would reach below the desk to bring out some ancient item he'd found in a junk shop or farm sale. Sometimes he'd explain what it was, sometimes he didn't know and would ask viewers to write in and tell him. It led eventually to a much-loved local TV series called "Bygones". Maybe he was the man who sparked my interest in local history.

One of Mr Joice's projects was to restore Newton Watermill in traditional style. There's been a mill here (a series of mills, to be precise) for about as long as there's been a little Saxon church just down the lane. 

Take care.