Hemblington All Saints
All Saints Church Hemblington
Where to find this church
Church Information
All Saints church is located in Hemblington, a Norfolk village about 9 miles east of Norwich.
This church is usually open to visitors
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Visiting Hemblington All Saints
All Saints in Hemblington is situated in the quite rural lanes to the east of Norwich, and one we have found open on our last visits. Here the tower is dated to the 14th century, as it contains bricks of that date lining its putlog-holes (for the scaffolding). It has a three-light 15th century west window in the ground floor, then there are brick-framed square windows containing stone blocks pierced with quatrefoil openings below the belfry. The double-belfry openings are under a wide arch, again framed with brick. At the top are wide battlements and there is a low conical red-tiled roof capped with lead. On the south side of the Church there are windows showing Decorated, Perpendicular and Early English styles of tracery! The chancel was rebuilt in 1910, though the outer frame of its 14th century east window was re-used. The south porch has a cross of white flints in its gable, and a grey flint cross either side of the entrance.
The 15th century impressive font was re-painted in 1937. The bowl shows from the east clockwise, the seated figures of probably the Saints Thomas of Canterbury, George, Edmund, Paul, [the Trinity facing west], Peter, Agatha and Barbara. Around the stem are standing figures of the Saints Lawrence, Mary Magdalene, Stephen, Catherine, Leonard, Sitha, Benedict and Margaret.
On the north nave wall is an astonishing survival! It shows a life-sized 15th century St Christopher carrying the Christ Child, but it also has smaller scenes on either side depicting Christopher’s life. The west side shows two scenes of Christopher, before his conversion to Christianity, when he was known as Retrobus. The east side has ten scenes, (from the bottom up), showing how he was persecuted for his faith, for while he was in prison convertingĀ two ladies, (who were martyred by being hung by their hair on a gibbet), being scourged, shot by arrows and beheaded, and finally converting the King Dagarus.