St Faith's wall paintings
A brief outline
The wall paintings were largely created from c. 1425-50, whilst the black text in the chancel dates from the 17th century. The highly sophisticated scenes are painted upon a very fine layer of rich plaster, which covers another coarser base layer. The pigment used is likely to be red ochre, together with another, pink natural dye (of which faded remains can be seen).
Nave North Wall. The upper tier of images depicts the twelve Apostles flanking a central Christ seen throughout the paintings by his flowing hair and forked beard. Whilst most of the Apostles are hard to see - St Andrew can be identified by the book and cross he holds. This represents the x-shaped cross on which he was crucified. Below this and on a much smaller scale can be seen a Passion and Resurrection cycle on the alternating backgrounds of white and red. This helps to read the cycle.
Nave West Wall. Over the tower arch can be seen the remains of Christ in Majesty. You can only see his torso but his head was lost when a window (now blocked) was put in. The heightening of the tower arch also cut into this work, destroying Christ's feet and legs. Jesus is flanked by angels and kneeling figures. Below this, flanking the tower arch you just make out some small amounts of the remains of The Three Living and The Three Dead. This was a common morality tale, some parts were also lost when the tower arch was widened.
North wall. The story in order: The Betrayal of Christ (Now lost). The Flagellation. Jesus stands before Caiaphas (the High Priest). Jesus carrying the Cross. The Crucifixion (Now lost). Jesus is removed from the Cross by a ladder. Jesus is laid in the tomb provided for him by Joseph of Arimathea. The Resurrection. The Three Marys at the Tomb. The Harrowing of Hell - Hell is shown as a huge set of teeth! Noli me Tangere. Doubting Thomas *Doubting Thomas was the very first painting discovered by Eve Baker in 1967 It is also the best preserved. The Ascension. Below this series and separated from it by a decorative border, you can see an area of highly decorative scrolling vine pattern that extends around the rest of the church (with the exception of the chancel).
Chancel East Wall. Beside the Victorian east window can be seen Post-Reformation texts in canopies. You can see at various positions throughout the church a wide black border. This is pre-Victorian and may have been an early measure to combat the damp caused by the rising ground levels outside
Chancel North Wall. At the west end of this wall you can see St George, his horse and the Dragon. The open jaws of the Dragon are found next to the rood-loft doorway.
South Aisle South Wall Whilst the decoration towards the east end of this wall is indecipherable, between the south-west window and the south door two tiers of narrative scenes can be found. It is thought that the top right-hand painting may be depicting the Sacrifice of Isaac.
The Arcade South Side. Within each spandrel are incredibly well preserved roundels containing the four Evangelists. From the west they are as follows: John (Eagle), Mark (Lion), Matthew (Angel), Luke (Ox) - St Luke's roundel was partially destroyed when the south aisle was shortened in the 17h century.
Arcade North Side This had been prepared for painting. It is thought that the Black Death(1348) may have interrupted this last phase of work.
The church was built over the first half of the 14th Century. There is a small aisle on the south side of the nave, but the north side of the nave has no windows at all. The tracery of the east window of the chancel is 15th Century. At some time the south aisle has been shortened at the east end. The exterior east wall of the chancel has had a shaft with a depiction of the crucifixion set in it, presumably from a medieval preaching cross from the 14th century.
One fine summer's day in 1967, the enthusiastic art historian Eve Baker visited. She found the church ruinous, roofless, and full of elder trees and ivy. The story goes that she climbed in through one of the empty windows, began stripping away ivy and found that the whitewash came off with it, revealing marvellous things. Thanks to the Norfolk Churches Trust a plan of repairs was put in place, and one of England's most exciting schemes of wall paintings was properly excavated in the early 1970s.
Негізгі бет Little Witchingham Church - beautifully preserved wall paintings....
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