Church 3 - All Saints, Gresham

  After a enojying a strawberrty tea and fellowship with freinds from church I hopped across from the Village Hall to my First Round Tower of this adventure - both on Saturday and of the wider exploration of Churches. 

This beautiful Flint building has one section partially rendered - potentialy reminiscent of the likley state of this churches early beginning. Stone being expensive and this being an easy adaptation to smarten up a building. Today the flint is a wonderful reminder of our local history and a way of spotting the growth, expansion, development, heriatge and legacy of building. One might wonder if Matt Redman song 'Heart of Worship' here to would apply: 

"When the music fades, All is stripped away, And I simply come.

Longin' just to bring, Something that's of worth, That will bless Your heart.

I'll bring You more than a song, For a song in itself, Is not what You have required.

You search much deeper within, Through the ways things appear, You're looking into my heart.

I'm comin' back to the heart of worship, And it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus."

Inside the church is generous in sharing it's story and local history, from how parts of it would have been built at the same time as Gresham Castle was fortified - I worship in Gresham at the Methodist Chapel and that Gresham had a catle was news to me.  Further information can be found from the Norfolk Heritage Explorer and This Is Paston Portal. 

Gresham itself was recorded in the Domesday Book with an annual value in 1086 of 4 pounds - this made the land owner, William of Warenne, a major economic player. with AI help it suggests that is you took the GDP of 1086 and the percentage of what the land accounted for (0.0055%) and used the current GDP of the UK (2.5 trillion) this small patch of Norfolk could tantamount to £130 million today. Besides the Church of All Saints and a castle in also had a Watermill and Windmill. This place was happening. 

Visit North Norfolk suggest that the church itself could have been built on top of an acncient pagan site, with archeoligcal finds to support this theory. 

Part of the generous history inside of the church explains the windows, a secnd church with perpendicular windows, and the stain glass. The date of the building and its various add ons and additions (11th Century Origins, 12th Century Tower, 13th Centrury Ornate Porch). The porch is two stories although it is hard to imagine the space above the entry way. Lest of all for the advertised accomadation of itinerant priests. It does not make mention - although Wikipedia does - of the clerical battle of churchmanship and church interior that the Squire of the time (1940s Colonel Batt) and Parish Priest underwent. The whitewash walls of All Saints Interior are a testmaent to this Consistory Court Case. 

The interior also boast of a Perpendicular style Font frrom the 15th Century. This Font displays across its eight sides images of the Baptism of Christ and the Seven Sacrements - Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, Confession, Holy Order, Holy Matrominy and Unction/Annointing of the Sick - was a design partcular to East Anglia. This is belived to be one fo the least damaged of the 30 or so remaining examples. 

The sun had come out as I left the interior of the church and voices of cyclists, walkers, and leavers of a Strawberry tea could be heard as I walked around the building noting that this Church is built on a slight hill. Although if memory serves when Cycling this is proceeded by much larger inclines around the surrounding area. 

This church very excitedly - and I went back to check twice - had my first scratch dial at its entrance. More information on such a thing can be found in both The Church Exploirer Handbook by Clive Fewins or (who knew such a thing existed) the archived British Sundial Society Website.

However, once again - like Church 2 - St Andrew, Metton - a memorial took my breath away. I can find no other details of this small memorial stone under the main window of the chancel. The memorial is for Alfred John Arden who died April 12th 1823 aged just 18 weeks. This small stone behind the alter must have meant so much to someone. It today reminded me that all of our days are beholden to God. Long or short, we are here by his Grace and to return home as Paul writes to the Philippians " For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NIV). According to - again with the help of Googles AI search - Landed Families Blogspot Alfred John Arden was baptised on 10th December 1822 and buried on the 17th April. His Father was the Rector - Reverend Francis Edward Arden. The memorial is for the 9th Child and final child of him and his wife Margaret Elizabeth. All of the other children lived into their 40's with one reaching the extrodinary age of 94. A reminder that all who are called to walk the way of Christ - ordained or not - are not called in any age to an easy life of magical mysitcal joy and blessing all the time. But are called to walk with Christ in every day of their life no matter the circumstances. 

Please note this blog is the combination of my scrawled notes, further research - as reflected in links and text - and reflection once home and are my own views and not that of the church. In this blog the church information boards did not have an author but have been instrumental. Pictures are my own. 

Lord and Father of all mankind, be with each who live in the village of Gresham, from their first breath to their last. May those who worship in the lands and surrounding area of All Saints, Gresham know your hand all the days of their life. May in every circumstances they know the peace of your Grace and Mercy and reach outward to all around them with a love learned from Christ himself. Amen