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.
