The Full Stained Glass
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A roundel of medieval glass in the north window
of St Mary's and All Saints, Walsingham |
There was a time, I will admit, when my glass may occasionally have been half empty. It happens.....
But today I have been blessed with the other half. There's nothing to regret - nothing to forget - I have been here before, and my last visit to Walsingham was with my dear, lost Amanda, and we walked here and there and enjoyed the countryside and all that:
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| Amanda at Walsingham on July 24th, 2021 |
Amanda loved her god, and walking, and I know she would be happy for me to back here, and in good company.
Courtesy of The Norfolk Churches Trust I am here for A Day out in Walsingham - Seen Through Stained Glass and 4 Churches, led by Scilla Landale, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide.
The day starts in the Orangery of the Anglican Shrine, where Scilla gives an illustrated talk about the history of Walsingham, using images from the various glass artists (who include Trena Cox, John Hayward, Paul San Casciani, Geoffrey Webb, and Michael Coles) who have contributed to the phoenix-like revitalisation of the town, following the post-reformation doldrums.
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Noah's Ark
Glass in the Pilgrims Shelter of the Modern Shrine
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In my book, Starting from Snettisham, that I published last year (for charity), I had a page on Walsingham, and wrote this:
In 1061 [Richeldis de Faverches] the widow of the lord of the manor of Walsingham Parva had three visions of the Virgin Mary who spiritually transported her to the place of the Annunciation in Nazareth and asked her to construct a copy of the holy house.
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The original shrine, by Michael Coles
In the Milner Wing Tower |
Since then, Walsingham became venerated as one of the holiest places in England, and it was the duty, in late Medieval times, for every Englishman to visit Walsingham at least once in his life.
In the 12th century an Augustinian Priory was founded here, and later a Franciscan Friary was established.
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| The Franciscan Friary |
Walsingham was one of the four great shrines of medieval christianity, along with Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. Royalty came here, including Henry III (twelve times) and Henry VIII (twice), which is perhaps ironic since it was his dissolution of the monasteries and the Reformation that left the Priory in ruins and ended the lucrative pilgrimage trade, following the repression of the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1537.
However, much of the past remains, and there are many half-timbered Tudor buildings here
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| The pump house in Common Place |
as well as the beautiful Arch in the Abbey [actually only called an abbey long after its dissolution] grounds.
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Practically all that is left of the Priory
(the stone was used for other buildings) |
In the late Victorian period pilgrims returned to the Slipper Chapel a mile south of the village, where you will now find the Roman Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady.
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The Slipper Chapel
The first modern pilgrimage came here on August 20th, 1897 |
Then in the 1930s the Anglican vicar of Walsingham [Father Alfred Hope Patten] built a new shrine containing a modern holy house.
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The modern Anglican shrine
Set up by Fr Alfred Hope Patten in the 1930s |
Nowadays over a quarter of a million pilgrims visit Walsingham every year, and it is also a popular holiday destination, with good bus links as well as the Wells to Walsingham Light Railway which runs every day during the summer months. In February the grounds here are carpeted with Snowdrops.
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| Sorry, no snowdrops just now, so woodbine will have to do..... |
After the talk, we have a brief lunch break, and the Black Lion Hotel does us proud. Another feature of pilgrimage.....
Then, with a light sprinkling of rain, Scilla takes us on a walking tour of the Georgian market town and its various religious buildings.
In the Pilgrims Shelter, in the Anglican Shrine, we see the story of Noah's Ark:
Next stop is St Mary and All Saints, the parish church of Little Walsingham,
which has been reconstructed after a devastating fire in 1961, with clear glass for the most part, except for the East window, a bravura feature by John Hayward, which incorporates surviving pieces of stained glass from before the fire, and depicts, among others, Our Lady of Walsingham, various other saints, and the story of the church.
We then visit the Roman Catholic Church of the Annunciation, also a complete reconstruction:
This church has a dramatic stained glass north window by Paul San Casciani:
The window is the background to a life-size crucifix, behind the altar, over which hangs a vast crown of thorns.
The design incorporates the outline of a fish pointing heavenwards, implying the resurrection. I am informed that the white and yellow colours are achieved by using a background textured white glass spread with golden rays, the tints created since medieval times by the application of silver oxide to the back of the glass before firing. The red that is seen through the aperture below Christ's feet is painted with a pattern of the shapes of greatly magnified blood corpuscles. The effect of the whole is very moving, even to philistines like me.....
Our last stop is at the old railway station, sacrificed to the motor vehicle by Marples and Beeching in 1966.
Apart from the small onion dome on the roof, this building is unremarkable from the outside. However, inside, the ticket office and gentleman's waiting room were converted in 1967 into a pan-orthodox chapel, dedicated to St Seraphim. This is one of three orthodox chapels in Walsingham (pilgrimages to Marian centres are not restricted to any denomination) and is a gem. The traditional icons were painted by members of the brotherhood of St Seraphim, who came to Walsingham from London in the sixties.
Though there is more to see in Walsingham, our guided tour is over. It has been a most interesting day. Thank you, Scilla Landale and The Norfolk Churches Trust. I almost feel I have earned a scallop shell:
And I certainly appreciate the concept of pilgrimage a little more now, though, having been familiar with Chaucer for many years, it isn't completely new to me. Regrettably I have no faith, but I understand the point of taking a break from the routines of daily life to travel to a significant place. Not only may it lead to some kind of transformation, it has social and health benefits. People mix and learn from each other, and share experience and entertainment. Just think of the Knight listening to The Miller's Tale, or the Clerk of Oxenford enjoying The Wife of Bath's Tale....
The practice of pilgrimage (peregrination) goes back way beyond the life of Jesus, but is also common to many different cultures and religions. Today (June 6th, 2025) for example is the third day of the Hajj, which will end on June 9th in Mecca.
I guess it is just a shame that while the theory of each pilgrimage is essentially peaceful, would it not be something of an improvement if these things were not sectarian?
Just a thought......
Peace on earth
and goodwill to all.
*******
And, separately, if you would like a copy of my book, Starting from Snettisham, which is a 72 page full colour introduction to some of the attractions of North-west Norfolk, please contact me directly. It is sold (at £12 plus p&p) in support of The Friends of St Mary's, Snettisham, and the National Brain Appeal.
