St Mary’s, Gissing

Open daily dawn to dusk.

Lower Street, Gissing, IP22 5UJ

Angel roof

Important memorial

Toilets nearby

Footpath, trail or cycle route

Parking nearby

Wheelchair accessible

Shop(s) or amenities nearby

Grade I

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A medieval church with a round tower. C15 double hammerbeam roof with carved angels. Kemp Chapel. Largely Victorian interior.

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Norfolk Churches and the First World War

Over 11,000 Norfolk men left to fight in the First World War and lost their lives. The term Thankful Villages is given to the 53 parishes nationwide which were lucky enough to welcome all of their servicemen home. There are no such villages in Norfolk. The unsurpassed wave of public remembrance generated more than 100,000 war memorials in the UK. These took the form of plaques, monuments, gardens, memorial halls and, of course, village memorials featuring the Cross of Sacrifice complete with the downturned sword indicating peace. Churches provided an outlet for the nation's grief, becoming a focal point for commemoration with the installation of memorials but also by way of the service held every Remembrance Sunday in which the names of the fallen are read out. The following Norfolk churches each have particularly poignant and interesting links to the First World War.

Round-Towered Churches of Norfolk

Norfolk is famed for its great number of medieval churches. Many of these parish churches have a distinctive feature hardly seen outside this region: a round tower.

Stunning Angel Roofs in Norfolk Churches

Almost 600 years ago, a church roof full of angels hovering benevolently over the congregation must have been a comforting reminder of the heaven they hoped awaited them. To the 21st century visitor, they are a source of wonder and are among our finest treasures. Masterpieces of carpentry, they survive largely because the iconoclasts of the Reformation were simply unable to reach them. Restoration of the angels in Cawston, St Agnes revealed that their backs are also intricately carved. In Norfolk there are over forty stunning angel roofs, mostly 15th century, some original, others replacements.

St Mary’s, Gissing

As featured in

Norfolk Churches and the First World War

Round-Towered Churches of Norfolk

Stunning Angel Roofs in Norfolk Churches

Explore Churches in Your Local Area

Explore by Location & Feature

St Mary’s, Gissing

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As featured in

Norfolk Churches and the First World War

Round-Towered Churches of Norfolk

Stunning Angel Roofs in Norfolk Churches

Explore Churches in Your Local Area

Explore by Location & Feature