Sometimes you find something, that you didn’t expect to find, which is what happened in All Saints’ Church in Edingthrope, about ten miles from Cromer in Norfolk. This lovely round tower church is in the middle of nowhere, up a grassy lane and sat on a hill top.
There are several interesting things about the church, but this post is about the 14th century rood screen, which I really didn’t expect to come across. On closer inspection of the screen, it looks as if the arched tracery above the figures has been painted in white, but the figures on the panels seen to be untouched. This is according to others that know more than I do…..but I tend to agree, the white paint just doesn’t look like it should be there, it looks a bit rough and ready, compared to the fine painting of the figures. Although this should not detract you from the figures, because they are a delight.
There are suppose to be bullet holes in the panels from Cromwell’s soldiers, I found a couple of holes, but I’m not sure if they are bullet holes……but its a good story.
The figures are six apostles, on the above photo there is St Paul with his sword, St John the Divine with his book and martyr’s palm, then St James with his staff and scallop shell.
In the next photo is St Bartholomew with his knife, St Andrew with his cross and St Peter with his keys.
Echoes of the Past 
This is just beautiful! I haven’t ever seen a rood screen like this in real life. How wonderful, for the paintings to have survived that long.
They are beautiful and we have about 400 in East Anglia, I have several, but I have only just really got interested in them. I am going to do another one tonight and explain a bit more on how they survived when other items were destroyed. This is the trouble with churches, there so many interesting parts to a church…..mind you I will never run out of posts 🙂