St. Mary's, Barningham Winter

Inside the church there are some good medieval architectural features that have survived.  Although difficult to see because of the gallery frontal, the medieval chancel arch is an example of a single chamfered order on polygonal responds and bell capitals. At the opposite end of the church, to the right of the altar there are important survivals - the piscina and triple sedilia. The piscina is a liturgical stone bowl for the washing of the communion plate and the sedilia are the canopied seats for the clergy. There are usually three in number. You will see that the seats are set close to the floor, the original floor was probably 50cms lower. 

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The monuments and objects in the church give us an immediate and tangible connection with the private lives of the parishioners of the past. Many of which show the strong link between St. Mary's and sucessive owners of Barningham Hall. One of the earliest monuments refers to the Winter family. They held the lordship during the later Middle Ages. On the north wall is the brass effigy of John Winter in armour carrying a sword and dagger. There was once an inscription that accompanied the brass that read, 'John Winter Esq., son and heir of William Winter, was representative for the county of Norfolk in parliament, 1409. He presented to this church in 1412 and held the manor by three parts of a fee of the Earl of Norfolk. He married first a daughter of ... Braylesford of Braylesford, county Derby, and second, Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of William of Hethersett and Eva his wife.'  The plaque was restored by the Briscoe family who rented Barningham Hall for a number of years around 1938. 

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Other wall and floor monuments are dedicated to the Paston, Mott and Mott-Radclyffe families who lived at Barningham Hall. The Paston's were the wealthiest of Norfolk Families from the medieval period. In 1612 Sir Edward Paston (1550-1630) built the present Barningham Hall.

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The stained glass plaques and coat of arms of Charlies II set in to the windows came from Barningham Hall and were put in place when the church was restored in the ninettenth century. The stone memorial reredos of the first world war was erected in memory of Charles Edward Radclyffe whose death at the Battle of Loos. It is inscribed, THE REREDOS IN THIS CHURCH IS / ERECTED TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND / IS SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF / LT. COL CHARLES EDWARD RADCLYFFE DSO / RIFLE BRIGADE / WHO WAS REPORTED WOUNDED AND / MISSING ON / SEPT 26TH 1915 / WHILE COMMANDING 11TH BATT / ESSEX REGT / AT THE BATTLE OF LOOS / IT WAS PLACED HERE BY HIS WIDOW THERESA CAROLINE / AND HIS SON CHARLES EDWARD MOTT RADCLYFFE / SO THAT THE NAME OF A BRAVE SOLDIER AND A GREAT / GENTLEMAN BE NEVER FORGOTTEN BY THOSE WHO / WORSHIP IN THIS CHURCH IN THE YEARS TO COME / SO HE PASSED OVER AND ALL THE TRUMPTS / SOUNDED FOR HIM ON THE OTHER SIDE / BORN DECEMBER 24 AD 1864   

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