St Peter & St Paul Round Tower Church, Sustead, North Norfolk (29)

Back in January 2017 we had a day visiting Round Tower Churches, I thought I had posted all the churches we had visited, but it would seem that I missed two churches.  Two churches……because the photos had merged into one church, so it was a nice surprise when I realised I was looking at two and not one.  Normally we try to visit a few Round Tower Churches early in the year, but it has not been possible this year, so it was nice to find these two to fill the gap.  This post is about St Peter & St Paul in the village of Sustead, four miles south-west from Cromer on the North Norfolk coast.  

The tower is 48ft (15m) high, and diameter inside is 7ft (2,1m).   The only entrance to the tower is through the door at the side, there is no entrance from the church.  I’m not sure what date the tower is, I have read it’s 13th century, and also that the bottom of tower is Saxon, anyway whatever the age, it’s attached to a Norman Church.  The dark brown corner-stones of the building apparently mean the church was Norman, with editions in the 14th, 15th and 19th century.  From the exterior of the church you can trace the history very clearly from the stone and brickwork, almost like a patchwork quilt.

You enter through the porch, into a well lit nave.  The sun was shining through the windows on the day of our visit, and gave the church a lovely welcoming feel to it.  

There is a double piscina and large sedilia (a stone seat in the wall of the chancel for the clergy) although they would seem not to be finished.  I alway feel that they must have perched, rather than being able to sit on something that narrow.

The 17th century pulpit, came from a church in North Banningham, which is now redundant.  But I nearly missed the carved faces, well I did, it was only as I was looking at the photos, I saw a little face.  To make matters worse they are angel faces, and I missed them.  They are on what is, a very plain pulpit, but I wonder what happened to the one it replaced.  

 There is a 15th century octagonal font, with the armorial shield of local families, which is in very good condition.  The roof is quite interesting, I like the painted effect, but can not find out anything about it.  But an interesting visit for a church I had mislaid.  Next post is the other missing church.