Outwell, Norfolk - St Clement: The hammerbeam and arch braced roof in the aisle. The angels, carved into the hammer beams (which may suggest a date pre-1450) are very similar to those at Emneth, which is a few miles to the north of Outwell. It has been suggested that they are the work of the same hand. This figure carries a scourge, one of the Instruments of the Passion.
Outwell, Norfolk - St Clement: A hammerbeam angel carries a chalice and Host.
Outwell, Norfolk - St Clement: Another of the hammerbeam angels carries pincers, again a symbol of Christ's Passion.
Outwell, Norfolk - St Clement: Close up of a hammerbeam roof angel.
Ringland, Norfolk - St Peter: The roof design - timber fan vaults concealing structural hammer beams, decorated with demi-angels - is the same as at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, but on a smaller scale. To paraphrase Mortlock, Ringland is "Mancroft's little sister". Since Mancroft can be dated to 1430-55, a date within the same period for Ringland seems plausible.
Ringland, Norfolk - St Peter: Timber fan vaulting and demi-angels.
Ringland, Norfolk - St Peter: C15th demi-angel on the roof fascia.
Salle, Norfolk - SS Peter & Paul: An arch-braced nave roof, with low-relief demi-angels at the beam intersections. The roof is dated to 1440-50 and retina its original colouring, with sacred IHS monograms and crowned "M"'s for the Virgin Mary.
Salle, Norfolk - SS Peter & Paul: A roof angel at a beam intersection. The paint is original. The roof dates from 1440-50.
South Creake, Norfolk - St Mary: The nave roof, a single hammerbeam and arch-braced construction, the hammers carved into angels. The nave and arcades were rebuilt in the early years of the C15th, and at least part of the work was funded by a bequest from the will of John Buckenham (1412). The angel roof itself was reputedly raised in celebration of Henry V's victory at Agincourt (25 October 1415), and so is likely to date from the period 1415-20. The angels were restored and repainted in the 1950's. While the wings are replacements, many of the bodies are original, and contain traces of lead shot, the result of C17th attempts to rid the church of an infestation of jackdaws.
South Creake, Norfolk - St Mary: A roof angel holds the triple crown of St Edmund of East Anglia symbolising (according to John Lydgate's C14th Life of St Edmund) his martyrdom, virginity and kingship. The triple crown standard of St Edmund was one of the banners carried by Henry V's army at Agincourt. Other roof angels at South Creake carry the arms of Edward, the Black Prince (victorious over the French at Crecy in 1346) musical instruments, and the Instruments of Christ's Passion.
South Creake, Norfolk - St Mary: A roof angel and the (Victorian) rood in the Chancel arch. The rood is the work of the C19th church architect Sir Arthur Blomfield, and was made not for South Creake, but for St Mary's, Colchester. His other works include the restoration of the Spire of Salisbury Cathedral, and the Royal College of Music in London. Thomas Hardy worked as assistant architect in Blomfield's practice in the 1860s, and the two remained friends.
Swaffham, Norfolk - SS Peter & Paul: One of the most magnificent angel roofs in Norfolk, Swaffham is a false double hammerbeam construction (i.e. only the lower hammers actually bear weight), the ends of the adorned with 192 angels on the wall plates and hammerbeams. Work on rebuilding the church began in 1454 and continued for over 50 years, funded by a variety of donors, many of whom are detailed in the "Black Book of Swaffham" compiled by the Rector John Botewright in the mid C15th. We therefore know that the roof was funded (at least in part) by Walter Taylor and his wife Isabel, affluent locals.
Swaffham, Norfolk - SS Peter & Paul: Close-up of the false double hammer beam roof, which is said to be made from chestnut wood rather than the normal oak. Chestnut supposedly repels attack by insects, and it is true that the carvings show little sign of insect damage. A late C19th restoration found traces of shot in many of the angels; presumably the result of Puritan iconoclasm.
Swaffham, Norfolk - SS Peter & Paul: A roof angel above one of the tie-beams.
Swaffham, Norfolk - SS Peter & Paul: A roof angel on the end of a hammer beam. The roof dates from the second half of the C14th, and is said to be made from chestnut wood rather than oak. As this photograph shows, the wood has a sheen to it which is uncharacteristic of aged oak.
Swainsthorpe, Norfolk - St Peter: The angel roof, an arch-braced construction, heavily restored. It is likely to date from the second half of the C15th.
Swainsthorpe, Norfolk - St Peter: the arch-braced roof has been extensively restored. The roof angels, which are set at the intersections of the arch braces and the purlins (horizontal roof beams, which help to spread the weight of the rafters) are finely carved, and carry musical instruments and in this case, a crown. The wings are replacements. The angel itself may be original.