Tilney, Norfolk - All Saints: A C15th false double hammer beam roof, extensively restored. The steel ties have been put in to counteract roof spread. This is an unusual roof in that it combines horizontal angels carved into the hammer beams with low relief angels (shown here) set on the ends of the hammers. This might argue for a date somewhere within the third quarter of the C15th.
Tilney, Norfolk - All Saints: One of the horizontal hammerbeam angels.
Tilney, Norfolk - All Saints: A restored angel carrying a shield showing the scourges of the Passion, and a replacement hammerbeam.
Trunch, Norfolk - St Botolph: An excellent single hammerbeam roof with very fine carving in the spandrels, likely to date from the mid-C15th. It has been suggested that this roof inspired the Reverend Whitwell Elwin to build the Victorian angel roof at Booton, since Elwin knew Trunch Church as a child. However, there is very little similarity between the two roofs.
Trunch, Norfolk - St Botolph: A close-up of a roof angel set on the end of a hammerbeam.
Trunch, Norfolk - St Botolph: A section of the angel roof showing the hammerbeam angels and the very finely carved spandrels (the fretwork sections between the horizontal hammerbeam and the vertical hammer post.
Trunch, Norfolk - St Botolph: Close-up of another hammerbeam angel.
Upwell, Norfolk - St Peter: A section of the nave roof, which is of alternating arch-brace and hammerbeam construction, with the hammers carved into full length angels. This tends to suggest that the roof dates from the first half of the C15th, as after 1450 it is rare to find full length hammerbeam angels.
Upwell, Norfolk - St Peter: One of the hammerbeam roof angels, likely to date from the first half, perhaps even the first quarter of the C15th. The wings have been replaced, the body and head are original. This angel carries the Crown of Thorns, a symbol of Christ's Passion. The carving, especially the modelling of the hair, shows some similarity with the angels at Mildenhall in Suffolk (likely to date from the 1420s), and St Nicholas, Kings Lynn, where a date in the early years of the C15th (1405-1409) is supported by church records.
Upwell, Norfolk - St Peter: An early C15th hammerbeam angel carries the hammer and nails of the Crucifixion. The body and head are original, the wings replacements.
Upwell, Norfolk - St Peter: Detail of a replacement wing; a fine piece of C19th (?) carving.
Upwell, Norfolk - St Peter: another of the roof angels, its hands held out as if in prayer or blessing. Note the detail and complexity with which the hair has been carved.