ST MARY’S CHURCH WATTON, NORFOLK.

Drawn by Janet McLean

CLERGY:

Priest in Charge & Team Rector Designate: The Rev’d. Canon M J Talbot, The Vicarage, Norwich Road, WATTON, Thetford, Norfolk IP25 6BD. Tel/Fax: 01953 881 439

Team Vicar Designate: The Rev’d Mike Howes

Tel/fax 01760 440 247 email: mike.howes5@ntlworld.com

Assistant Priest: The Revd. Rod Broughall. Tel 01953 881 989

Assistant Curate: The Rev’d Tony Pears Tel 01953 880 976

Church Administrator: Margaret Cator 01953 881252

Church Office Hours: Tues, Wed & Thurs 9.00 – 1.00

According to the Domesday Book Watton had a church prior to 1086. The present church is most likely to have been built on the same site, and is generally accepted to have been built between 1100 and 1135. St Mary’s Church, which was originally dedicated to St Giles, but was rededicated to St Mary in the early C15, is of flint construction in the Norman and Gothic styles. In the 1840’s extensive building work was undertaken, widening the aisles to increase seating capacity from 260 to 480, which makes St Mary’s the only church in Norfolk that is wider than its length.

Its round tower has an octagonal belfry containing six bells. This new ‘peal’– a set of bells attuned to each other – was installed in 1899 for ‘change ringing’ paid for by public subscription. Previously there were only three bells housed in a wooden spire and inscribed ‘John Brend made me in ‘1656-1658’. At one time there was a musicians gallery in the west end, and records show that in 1845 the church had a small orchestra which consisted of a violin, two flutes and two clarinets.

One of the church’s most treasured possessions is the wooden poor box, which represents the figure of a priest on whose chest is inscribed the words ‘Remember the Poore 1639’. He is shown holding a bag with an orifice at the top where money can be placed before passing into the box below.

THE PARISH REGISTERS

The Parish Registers of St Mary’s Church Watton, Norfolk, England are almost complete and the earliest Register contains Baptisms, Marriages and Burials dating from 1539. These early entries are quite badly faded in many places and are difficult to read with any certainty. Transcriptions of the Registers are now available.

ST MARY’S MEMORIALS

Book One contains the inscription from inside the Church of St Mary and the earlier areas of the Churchyard closest to the Church, is priced at £3.60 + p&p 54p UK. 95p o/s surface mail or £1.72 o/s airmail.

In the foreground are the memorial stones of four members of 149 Squadron whose Stirling Mark I crashed at Gt. Cressingham due to serious technical problems on the way to lay mines in the river Gironde, France on the evening of 10^th October 1942.