Norfolk’s Rich Religious Past (a history lesson!)
A few miles inland from the Norfolk town of Wells-next-the-Sea (reached by steam train) is the ancient village of Walsingham, a popular pilgrimage for religious retreats. Read Paul Kingsnorth’s lovely piece on visiting England’s Nazareth.
Norfolk boasts more churches than anywhere on earth, so you won’t have to look for to spot a medieval church or spire, even if some lay abandoned. This is due to the strong history of the Catholic faith, before Henry VIII came to power.
Today, Walsingham has both Roman Catholic and Anglican shrines, which draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year.
Walsingham Abbey grounds are known for their spectacular snowdrop displays (dogs are allowed in the grounds, but know that snowdrops and all bulbs are not safe, so avoid for flower-nosey pooches).
The medieval architecture makes this little village stand out. The 14th century buildings were built in a grid layout for the benefit of pilgrims, and there were two markets (now long gone) to buy food.
The old prison was built on the site of a former leper hospital, and there are numerous little churches. The tiny orthodox church was built from the old railway station, and one of the Catholic churches is the first in England to be carbon-neutral, with solar panels for electricity, and a deep-bore heat exchange system.
The village is also home to ‘little sisters of Jesus‘, a community of around 900 religious women who live in 50 countries. One writes a lovely story on their website:
After giving up her career as a paleontologist, she travelled to Wells to examine fossils on the beach. Meeting a dying man on his last holiday, they struck up a conversation and she told him ‘Keep courage and see you one day’. She went home, and knew she would never see him again.
Seven years later, he approached her – now healthy and married to his wife (the nurse who looked after him). He had kept the fossil she had given him and remembered her words. She writes that now she knows ‘God didn’t take her love of rocks away’ – instead He uses them as a means to give her people!’
The story behind Our Lady of Walsingham
Tradition says that in the 11th century, a Norfolk noblewoman, Richeldis de Faverches, received a vision of the Virgin Mary. Mary showed her the house of the Annunciation in Nazareth and asked for a copy to be built in Walsingham. That building became known as the Holy House.
Today around 350,000 pilgrims visit the village each year, full of well-preserved half-timbered medieval houses. A unique place to stay is The Control Tower, a vegetarian bed and breakfast, which looks very modern but in fact the rooms like the old signal room still retain authentic features.
Like a huge art deco bath, with a hand-held shower for washing your hair! With handmade soaps (no palm oil) just up the road in Burnham Market. And the large living room used to be the meteorological office!
What you won’t find are TVs, trouser presses, modern gadgets or rashers of bacon. But you will get a homecooked breakfast with local apple juice, homemade jam and a vegan menu with sourdough bread. Pets are unfortunately not allowed due to two rescued resident cats.
