Saturday 21 April 2012

An Original Timber Saxon Church

Please click on images in order to enlarge
Here is the grand Norman church of South Lopham, located in the far south of Norfolk. Members of The Ragged Society of Antiquarian Ramblers visited here last Thursday, and were suitably impressed with what they found. However, impressive though this stone church is, there is an even more amazing 'story' concealed within its midst.


Unthinking people might suppose the artifact above to be a dug-out coffer of an early period. However, we Ragged Ramblers are quite prepared to challenge labels and hitherto orthodox assumptions as to the provenance of things. So it was that, in a state of the utmost excitement, a Member began to formulate a most plausible alternative explanation as to the function of this antient object:

"Why, you see it's clearly the first church on this site!"
"You mean... you mean to say, that we are actually looking at..."
"Yes Munro! The original Saxon church which stood on this site..."
"They were much smaller then... Of course, it makes perfect sense... I say, this is Bully Sir - Bully I say!"

"Indeed Munro! And look here; here's a section of the original rood screen..."

At which point the excitement of this tumultuous discovery caused this Member to hyperventilate and lose consciousness....

Huzzah!

3 comments:

  1. This is antiquarian investigation at its best. It would explain the unusual size of the coffer or rather 'church'. Also the wooden nature of its wood construction can i think be put down to the obsession 1000 years ago with the end of the world - In this case it seems certain that the locals feared another great flood, hence the dugout boat like construction of their church. When the apocalyptic downpour came they could simply float away praying as they went.

    Well done to you Munro and this other anonymous Rambler who I assume is Wee Davey's cousin, Big Dave?

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  2. Replies
    1. Miss Jean Angerstein-McTavish22 April 2012 at 20:42

      And nae sign o' Colonel Hampton's bonez, eh? Didn'ae I tell yeez... tha' man's too great fer a wee matchbox luk that, aye. Rest in peace, ma bonnie prince.

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