A visitor emailed me asking about the location of the arch at the head of this blog. The answer is Heckingham; or, more particularly, Heckingham church, sister foundation to the more well known church at Hales. These two are archetypal examples of small rural Norman churches. Their riches were preserved by the poverty of their parish/parishes - they were never modernised and 'upgraded'. I am not alone in thinking that Heckingham is the more atmospheric of the two churches (see Simon Knott's wonderful site, and, in particular, his description of Heckingham).
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Isn't that arch - with its fabulous beaker mouldings, chevrons and various other Norman embellishments - absolutely fantastic. Here's a doorway which, if wood and stone could speak, would tell some tales. Nearly 900 years of life has passed this way. This passageway of 'hatching, matching and dispatching' is all about life and death, and its journeys and phases. So go get yourself an OS map and drive down some narrow lanes in south Norfolk and allow your mind to wonder as you stand in the doorway; allow yourself to become a small part of its story.
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