This is a Medieval Seraphim Angel, which I found high up in the transept of a stained glass window in St Mary’s Church in South Creake, Norfolk. Seraphim Angels have six sets of feathered wings and are high up in the Choir of Angels.
The church would have been a feast of colour, with every window full of stained glass, but the “Reformers” under Henry VIII, smashed most of the stained-glass, but they forgot or perhaps they were too high for stones to reach, several small demi-angels high up in the transepts. So theses angels were a rare treat to find, as they are in their original state.
Echoes of the Past 
Wonderful( and wondrous that this survived.) Love the colours.
I nearly missed them, as they are so high, I was looking at the roof angels when I saw them, maybe the Reformers just didn’t see them, thank goodness 🙂
I like to think that they did or were very frustrated in their attempts to get at it! I do try to make a real point of looking up in churches as realized at some point how much one can miss otherwise! Especially wonderful bosses or the odd carving here and there that survived.
Yes, you should aways look up, but recently I have learnt you should look down as well. I keep missing brasses and coffin lids, according to the little guide books I read afterwards, I should read them before I go round the church, but I only have a short amount of time to explore and they take time to read 🙂
I know what you mean about looking both up as well as down~ I have missed interesting brasses or just interesting inscriptions ~ sometimes there is no guide or leaflet and unless you have read up before hand about the place ,you can miss some fascinating stuff~ simply because you do not have a history or any kind background info. Some of the very best guides to both village churches and surrounding areas that I have ever found, are written by the vicar ~ whether contemporary or from the distant past~ if they have been there any amount of time , they often do such thorough studies and know things that no general guide will . Unfortunately you do not come across too many of those these days.
Yes those guides are hard to find in churches now, they are more just leaflets. I love looking through second hand book shops and charity shops to see if I can find some and I have found a few and guides to places that I have yet to visit…..then I get to read before hand 🙂
I love the expression on this one, and his headgear! As you say, it’s so sad that these medieval windows were lost, but good that a few precious fragments have survived.
It was amazing to see the windows in our part of the country, as they did a very good job in destroying the glass. I love to see them in their original form. There are a couple of windows made up from fragments of glass, but he is the real thing. What is more amazing is that most of the churches in York still have their Medieval glass, there must be a reason for that. I have a couple more angels to post, the detail on them is wonderful for something so small 🙂
That’s interesting – I wonder why the York churches were spared? There must be a reason for that.
Just by chance I came across this website recently: http://www.norfolkstainedglass.org
You may already be aware of it, but if not it’s a lovely site to explore! 🙂
I had seen the site before, but not really looked, but I have just spent sometime going through the site and wow I didn’t realise there was so much to it, so thank you for reminding me 🙂
re: the guidebooks~ yes, whenever possible I do try to do a iittle research before I set off if I know I will be visiting a particular place ~ sometimes you just happen upon others but if no leaflet or even if there is one, if it is really an intriguing church I will try to find out more afterward. Love to find second hand guides when ever I can ~ amazing what some bookshops charge for them these days!
I have a problem called a husband….I might make a nice list of churches that I would like to visit….we get in the car and go in the opposite direction. But, as I’m being chauffeured, I just smile and go to plan B, which is fingers crossed that we come across churches I have read about 🙂 Charity shops here are great for guides as they more or less give them away 🙂
You did make me smile re: a thing called a husband~ I believe I have heard a bit about them and their ways. It does seem however, despite the possible impediment they may present at times~ that you still manage to see quite a few interesting places. I do look in the charity shops whatever town I find myself in as they can be excellent sources of books and guides as you say, but maybe just where I have been the past few years, find less and less of the guides and old books and more of the new and popular fiction paperbacks ~ the other subjects relegated to a smaller shrinking section. I used to find lots of lovely history , U.K guides ect in the charity shops ~ many of them seem to be aiming at a different demographic I think ~ perhaps E. Anglia ‘s charity shops have some good stock and bargains !
Yes, I should not be so harsh, he does drive a lot faster than I do, so thats why we get to visit so many places in a day. We are lucky in the Fens, as there are lots of Charity shops and old second hand book shops that still have lots of interesting hardback books and I have found some excellent books on churches, which keeps me happy for days 🙂
you lucky lady! Have you ever been to Ely cathedral? That has been one of my long time desires to see.
Thats husband Steve’s favourite Cathedral, so we have visited lots of times, I have lots of photos to post. Its an amazing building to see from a distance, you can see it for miles. It was built on an island, like most of the larger towns in the fens I think its one of my favourites as well because it has such an elegant interior. I have about 5 Cathedrals to post, so I will start with Ely 🙂
I think what you have here is not a Seraphim but a Principality. It is wearing a crown, has a sceptre, and an ermine collar. Were the others equally varied? In which case you might have got the Nine Orders of Angels.
Thank you for your input and you are most likely correct, but unfortunately, it was the only photo that came out well, as it was very dark, so I didn’t really see the others. I didn’t know about Principality, so will look it up. Many thanks.