Seething St Margaret

What you need to know about this church

St Margarets Church Seething

Where to find this church

Church Information

St Margarets church is located in Seething, a Norfolk village about 3 miles west of Loddon.

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Seething St Margaret church
Church from south-west
Seething St Margaret church
Church from south-east
Seething St Margaret church
Rood screen

Visiting Seething St Margaret

The church of St Mary’s (and St Remigius’) in Seething is located in a beautiful position in the rural countryside to the west of the A146 Beccles to Norwich road, and close by are a couple of handsome “Chocolate Box” thatched cottages.

It is though that perhaps St Remigius was another church in the same churchyard at Seething, but when it fell into ruins, the name was added to this one..? This is another 12th century tower, still with windows of that era on its first floor, and the nave is of the same time, with a thatched roof. In the 13th century, the early belfry was replaced by a newer version, which subsequently had much repair, done in brickwork in the 18th century, particularly on the south side. The plain parapet was added in the 15th century, again using much brickwork. The tower is topped with a slender spirelet. Flint quoins can be seen within the west wall, before the nave was widened, possibly in the 14th century, though its south windows are now 15th century. The chancel is also dated about 1300.

There is one of the Seven Sacrament fonts here, one of 25 in Norfolk, (out of total of 40 remaining). It dates from 1485, with the Sacraments shown: E Extreme Unction, [SE Baptism of Christ – not a Sacrament], S Ordination, SW Matrimony, W. Baptism, NW Eucharist, N Confirmation, NE Penance. There are angels with scrolls in the corona supporting the bowl, round the stem are four small figures and on the base are the emblems of the four Evangelists.

There are extensive, though faint, remains of wall paintings here. In the north-west corner are, from the 1300s, “Three Quick and Three Dead” (three fashionable young men out hunting meet three skeletons, only one skeleton now), who say “As you are now, so were we, As we are now, so shall you be”. The north nave has St Christopher, about 1400. East of him are scenes from the Seven Joys of Mary: Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, Adoration/Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, painted circa 1350, and in the north-east nave St John the Baptist, with a pointing finger. On the south wall are two Ladies talking, plus two Devils (encouraging the gossip!). Further west is an omega roundel, a harpist and possibly St James the Less.

The nave is divided from the chancel by a Rood screen, the base of which dates from the 15th century, although the top was re-made in 1898. The base has alternate red and green panels, with stencilled decorations, and some original colour. In the north-west chancel window is a panel of 15th century glass made in Norwich, with an angel holding a shield. Below the angel the floor has a “barley pattern”, recognised as Norwich glass. There is also old glass in the south nave, parts of a Bishop’s head, and roundels of a lion and a bull. The north-east window has a dove at the very top.

Conclusion: beautiful open and thatched church with unusual spirelet

Seething St Margaret church
Sacrament font
Seething St Margaret church
Wall painting
Seething St Margaret church
15th century glass