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.

There are about 180 round-towered churches in England and 124 of these can be found in Norfolk. Round towers date largely to the Anglo-Saxon and Norman periods but were often added to over the centuries. The early towers have features characteristic of the region such as elaborate bell openings around the upper parts of the tower, round windows with only rubble dressings and deep double splays. The source of this inspiration and the reason for the fashion for round towers being largely confined to East Anglia has been the source of much debate. It is now thought that the two great Norman churches Bury St Edmunds Abbey and Norwich Cathedral were the source. They had storeyed circular chapels radiating around their sanctuaries which parishes sought to emulate. The radiating chapels at Bury St Edmunds and Norwich had additional little turrets which other towers tried to copy.

Several of the church towers have distinctly Anglo-Saxon features such as triangular headed openings as at Haddiscoe, Forncett, Roughton and Herringfleet, and long-and-short quoins. These features are mixed with the up-to-date Anglo-Norman features such as imported freestone dressings and Romanesque decoration such as chevrons. The doorways at Hales, Haddiscoe and nearby Heckingham have abundant decoration of this sort. The survival of these Anglo-Saxon forms can be explained by the lack of experience of building with stone. The Normans introduced this technology into East Anglia replacing timber construction in the Anglo Saxon tradition. They were virtually no buildings in stone in East Anglia after the departure of the Romans and the arrival of the Normans. Local builders were learning and referring to surviving pre-Conquest buildings outside the region for decorative vocabulary and to the vast buildings of the Norman conquerors copying their most distinctive features – the radiating chapels leading to the round towers so characteristic of East Anglia’s early churches.

St Edmund’s, Acle

Norwich Road, Acle, NR13 3BU

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St Swithin’s, Ashmanhaugh

Church Road, Ashmanhaugh, NR12 8YL

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St Michael’s, Aslacton

Church Road, Aslacton, NR15 2JN

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St John the Baptist’s, Aylmerton

Church Road, Aylmerton, Norwich, NR11 8PZ

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All Saints, Barmer

Off B1454 Fakenham Road , Barmer, PE31 8SP

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St Mary and St Walstan’s, Bawburgh

Church Street, Bawburgh, Norwich, NR9 3NA

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St Mary, Beachamwell

The St, Beachamwell, King's Lynn, PE37 8BD

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St Andrew’s, Bedingham

Crow Hill, Bedingham, NR35 2DD

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St Lawrence’s, Beeston St Lawrence

Stalham Road, Beeston St Lawrence, NR12 8YS

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All Saints, Belton

Church Lane, Belton, NR31 9JN

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St Mary’s, Bessingham

The Street, Bessingham, NR11 7JP

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St Nicholas, Bradwell

Upper Church Walk, Bradwell, Great Yarmouth, NR31 8QQ

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St Peter’s, Brampton

The Street, Brampton, NR10 5HW

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St Nicholas, Brandiston

Brandiston Hall, Brandiston, NR10 4PJ

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St Margaret’s, Breckles

Watton Road , Breckles, Attleborough, NR17 1EW

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St Peter’s, Brooke

The Street, Brooke, NR15 1JU

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St Peter and St Paul’s, Burgh Castle

Church Road, Burgh Castle, Great Yarmouth, NR31 9QG

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St Mary’s, Burnham Deepdale

Main Road, A149, Burnham Deepdale, King's Lynn, PE31 8DD

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St Margaret’s, Burnham Norton

Bellamy's Lane, Burnham Norton, PE31 8BF

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St Mary’s, Bylaugh

Lime Kiln Road, Bylaugh, NR20 4QE

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St Peter’s, Clippesby

Church Lane, Clippesby, Great Yarmouth, NR29 3BJ

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All Saints, Cockley Cley

Swaffham Road, Cockley Cley, PE37 8AL

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St Andrew’s, Colney

Old Watton Road, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UF

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St Mary’s, Cranwich

Church Lane , Cranwich, IP26 5JL

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All Saints, Croxton

The Street, Croxton, IP24 1LL

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St Nicholas, Dilham

Church Road, Dilham, NR28 9QB

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St Mary’s, East Walton

Church Lane, East Walton, PE32 1PP

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St Mary the Virgin, Eccles

Quidenham Road, Eccles, Norwich, NR16 2PA

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All Saints, Edingthorpe

Church Lane, Edingthorpe, NR28 9TN

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St Mary’s, Fishley

Off South Walsham Road, Fishley, Norwich, NR13 6DA

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St Peter’s, Forncett St Peter

Aslacton Road, Forncett St Peter, NR16 1HY

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St Andrew’s, Framingham Earl

Yelverton Road, Framingham Earl, NR14 7SD

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All Saints, Freethorpe

The Green , Freethorpe, NR13 3AH

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St Catherine’s, Fritton

The Street, Fritton, NR15 2QT

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St Edmund’s, Fritton

Church Lane, Fritton, NR31 9EZ

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St Mary’s, Gayton Thorpe

Gayton Thorpe, PE32 1PN

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St Michael’s, Geldeston

Yarmouth Road, Geldeston, NR34 0LW

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St Mary’s, Gissing

Lower Street, Gissing, IP22 5UJ

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St Andrew’s, Great Ryburgh

Mill Road, Great Ryburgh, NR21 0BE

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All Saints, Gresham

Church Lane, Gresham, NR11 8RT

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St Mary’s, Haddiscoe

Church Lane, Haddiscoe, NR14 6PB

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St Margaret’s, Hales

Church Lane, Hales, Loddon, NR14 6QL

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St Margaret’s, Hardley

Lower Hardley Road, Hardley, Norwich, NR14 6BU

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St Margaret’s, Hardwick

The Street, Hardwick, NR15 2AB

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St Peter’s, Haveringland

Off Haveringland Road, Haveringland, NR10 4PW

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All Saints, Hemblington

Church Lane, Hemblington, Norwich, NR13 4EF

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All Saints, Horsey

The Street, Horsey, NR29 4EF

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St Lawrence’s, Ingworth

Banningham Road / Norwich Road, Ingworth, NR11 6PD

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All Saints, Intwood

Intwood Road, Intwood, NR4 6TG

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All Saints, Keswick

Off B1113, Keswick, NR4 6DY

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St Andrew’s, Kilverstone

Brettenham Road, Kilverstone, IP24 2RN

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All Saints, Kirby Cane

Loddon Road, Kirby Cane, NR35 2HN

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St Andrew’s, Letheringsett

Church Lane, Letheringsett, NR25 7YA

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St Andrew’s, East Lexham

Off Lexham Road, East Lexham, PE32 2QL

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St Nicholas, West Lexham

West Lexham, Swaffham, PE32 2QN

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St Gervaise and St Protase’s, Little Plumstead

Off Hospital Road, Little Plumstead, NR13 5FB

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St Andrew’s, Little Snoring

The Street, Little Snoring, NR21 0HZ

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St Mary the Virgin, Long Stratton

Ipswich Road, Long Stratton, Norwich, NR15 2TA

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St Peter’s, Matlaske

The Street, Matlaske, NR11 7JG

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St Peter & St Paul’s, Mautby

Mill Road, Mautby, NR29 3JA

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St Peter’s, Merton

High Street / Watton Road, Merton, Thetford, IP25 6QH

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St Margaret’s, Morton-on-the-Hill

Morton Hall, Ringland Road , Morton-on-the-Hill, NR9 5JS

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St Mary’s, Moulton St Mary

Reedham Road B1140, Moulton St Mary, NR13 3NW

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St Peter’s, Needham

High Road, Needham, Harleston, IP20 9LB

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St Mary and St Margaret’s, Norton Subcourse

Church Road, Norton Subcourse, NR14 6RU

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St Julian’s, Norwich

St Julian's Alley , Norwich, NR1 1QD

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St Margaret’s, Old Catton

Church Street, Old Catton, Norwich, NR6 7DR

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All Saints, Poringland

The Street, Poringland, NR14 7AD

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St Nicholas, Potter Heigham

Church Lane, Potter Heigham, NR29 5LL

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St Andrew’s, Quidenham

Quidenham Road , Quidenham, Norwich, NR16 2PJ

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St Andrew’s, Raveningham

Raveningham Park, Raveningham, NR14 6NS

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St Peter’s, Repps

Church Road, Repps, NR29 5JS

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St Peter’s, Rockland St Peter

Bray's Lane, Rockland St Peter, Attleborough, NR17 1UD

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St George’s, Rollesby

Fleggburgh Road, Rollesby, NR29 5HH

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St Mary’s, Roughton

Church Loke, Roughton, NR11 8SZ

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St Remigius, Roydon

High Road , Roydon, IP22 5RU

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All Saints, Runhall

Church Road, Runhall, Norwich, NR9 4DR

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St Mary’s, Rushall

Harleston Road, Rushall, Diss, IP21 4RX

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St Mary’s, Sedgeford

Church Lane, Sedgeford, PE36 5NA

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St Margaret’s, Seething

Brooke Road , Seething, Norwich, NR15 1DN

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St Nicholas, Shereford

The Street, Shereford, NR21 7PP

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St George’s, Shimpling

Off Dickleburgh Road, Shimpling, IP21 4UF

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St Michael’s, Sidestrand

Cromer Road, Sidestrand, NR27 0LY

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All Saints, South Pickenham

B1077, South Pickenham, PE37 8DS

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St Michael and All Angels, Stockton

Church Road, Stockton, NR34 0HJ

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St Mary’s, Stody

Brinton Road, Stody, NR24 2ED

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St Mary’s, Surlingham

Church Lane, Surlingham, NR14 7DF

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St Peter and St Paul’s, Sustead

The Street, Sustead, NR11 8RU

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St Peter’s, Swainsthorpe

Church Road, Swainsthorpe, NR14 8PH

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St Mary’s, Syderstone

The Street, Syderstone, PE31 8RY

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St Mary’s, Tasburgh

Church Lane, Tasburgh, Norwich, NR15 1NB

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St Edmund’s, Taverham

Taverham Road , Taverham, Norwich, NR8 6SY

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All Saints, Thorpe Abbotts

Off A143, Thorpe Abbotts, IP21 4HS

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St Matthias, Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe

Church Road, Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe, NR14 6PT

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All Saints, Threxton

Off Brandon Road, Threxton, IP25 6LU

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All Saints, Thwaite

Church Road , Thwaite, NR11 7PP

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St Mary’s, Titchwell

Church Lane, Titchwell, PE31 8BA

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St Margaret’s, Topcroft

Church Road, Topcroft, NR35 2BH

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St Peter and St Paul’s, Tuttington

Norwich Road, Tuttington, NR11 6AG

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All Saints, Wacton

Church Road, Wacton, NR15 2UG

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St Mary’s, Watton

Church Road, Watton, Thetford, IP25 6DQ

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All Saints, Welborne

Church Lane / Hill Lane, Welborne, Dereham, NR20 3LQ

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St Mary’s, West Somerton

Church Road, West Somerton, NR29 4DR

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St Andrew’s, Wickmere

Watery Lane, Wickmere, NR11 7JE

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St Margaret’s, Witton (nr Edingthorpe)

Bacton Road , Witton (nr Edingthorpe), North Walsham, NR28 9TS

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All Saints, Woodton

Church Road, Woodton, NR35 2NB

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St Margaret’s, Worthing

Church Road, Worthing, Dereham, NR20 5HR

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St Peter and St Paul’s, Wramplingham

Wymondham Road, Wramplingham, Wymondham, NR18 0RY

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St Peter’s, Yaxham

Church Lane, Yaxham, Dereham, NR19 1RQ

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St John the Baptist’s, Hellington

Hellington Hill, Hellington, NR14 7BS

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St Mary’s, Hassingham

Church Road, Hassingham, NR13 4HH

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