East
Anglia has the greatest concentration of medieval churches in England and
probably Europe,. Like the Pyramids of Egypt or the Inca temples in the jungles
of South America they are relics of a vanished age of astonishing architectual
achievement. Saxons built large numbers and many of our churches today either
exist on the same sites or retain some Saxon work. The Normans, who conquered
England in the eleventh century, lost no time in building or rebuilding churches.
Their work is characterised by its massiveness and consequently much of their
building survives. And in the middle ages the great wealth of the wool barons
ensured that the finest masons and craftsmen were commissioned to undertake
the building, enlarging and furnishing of churches
Churches
were built to the glory of God and no doubt the benefactors hoped to gain
favour in the life hereafter as a result. There was of course a great fear
of the torments of hell and purgatory and most churches had their Chantry
Chapels where masses would have been said regularly for the dead with the
pious hope of shortening their path to heaven. The few surviving "Doom" paintings,
(Wenhaston) which in pre reformation days, were positioned over the chancel
arch, give a frightening picture of the awful day of judgment and the consequences
of a sinful life and the superstitious congregations of those days must have
been mortally terrified by them.
The
mystery is that even in the days when Christianity held sway over the land
the huge churches of Long Melford, Blythburgh, Salle or Lavenham would have
been many times too large for their tiny villages.
Sadly
much has been destroyed, firstly at the coming of the Reformation in the mid
16th cent. and a hundred years later by over zealous Puritans at the time
of Oliver Cromwell. Since then much more was allowed allowed to fall into
neglect. Finally, in the nineteenth century, the industrious Victorians imposed
many of their dubious "improvements" doing away with much that was old and
beautiful although, to their credit, they did a great deal of valuable work
saving churches from dereliction. What is left to us is a priceless legacy;
Norfolk alone has 650 medieval churches and every one has its own unique character
and charm. The history of England is contained within these buildings and
in the churchyards lie generations of its citizens. 
What
ever the motives, these people created buildings which we still regard with
admiration, wonder and even awe. Could we, for instance, find the craftsmen
to build a Lavenham or a Salle today and if so at what cost? And yet every
village had its church and some of these venerable old building have lasted
a thousand years and churches have become an indispensable part of the East
Anglian landscape.
Happily
gone is the fear of Judgment Day and gone is the dread of eternal torment
but who can enter Norwich Cathedral and look up and see that soaring, nave
vault without feeling that something very wonderful has vanished from our
lives? And on a smaller scale the ethereal paintings of the saints on the
rood screen at Barton Turf, the charming little wine glass pulpit at Burnham
Norton, the wonderful Doom painting at Wenhaston or the beautifully carved
Norman doorway at the little village church at Heckingham speak eloquently
of a vanished age which, for all its horrors, had a bright vision of eternity
which we have lost.