A Place of Pilgrimage: Walsingham Abbey

Black and White Late Summer Mornings: Wymondham, Norfolk

Wymondham, Norfolk.

Of All the Days: The Derelict Church of St Wandregesilius, Bixley

Not far south of Norwich, the site of the ruins of the parish church of the tiny hamlet of Bixley nonetheless feels as isolated a spot in East Anglia. Down a dirt track, surrounded by chest-high nettles and weeds, and fields beyond, the church of St Wandregesilius dates back to 1272. In 2004, it was gutted by arson, the fury of the flames still clearly evident today.

The church is notable in its own small way for being the only dedicated to Wandregesilius, the Latinised name for Wandrille, an obscure seventh century monk and hermit. The date of his death, and that of his feast, is, coincidentally, the date I wandered round the ruins of his church: July 22nd.

My Little Empire

A ruined farm building somewhere outside Guist, Norfolk.

All Saints: The Hainford 'Old Church'

As always with Norfolk churches, the peerless Norfolk Churches Site gives a good run-down of the history of this little spot (http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/hainford/hainfordold.htm). In a nutshell, though, this medieval ruin fell into disuse in the nineteenth century, with the building of a newer parish church closer to the centre of Hainford village. Although the tower is fenced off and overgrown, the graveyard is actually still in use - the newer graves mostly near the yard entrance and still tended to, with the older ones left to the wild. The tower makes for a striking ivy-covered image amidst the flatness of the surrounding fields.