Looking and not seeing - Ranworth

I had visited Ranworth already. Loved it. You saw some photos in the post of 31/3 (Meandering the landscape of the Norfolk Broads). I was keen to show Deb and take the walk out to their floating observation platform. We did - some photos below, not of the platform, just a few things we saw on the boardwalk out and back - mid afternoon was not a good time for much to be happening but it was a nice day for a walk!

I have labelled a couple of the birds with names (as best I can ... Sean & Ruth gifted me a British Trust for Ornithology Guide to British Birds for my birthday so can try to distinguish what I am taking photos of!). No responsibility for inaccurate identification offered!

Eggs in the nest on harvested reeds

A(nother) great crested grebe

A blue tit ... nice light.

Tending the cottage garden

Resting mallards

The walk to the floating platform is circular, and our choice was to return via the parish church of St Helens. Another charming flintstone building typical of the region, though the lead roof is a little unusual for a parish church which are normally thatch hereabouts. Tapered square tower too; every now and again you find a round tower.

So ... "typical" ... and that is how you approach your self-guided exploration of the interior. Stained glass windows at either end, and clear glass along the sides (again more typical than not here ... relatively unusual for stained glass side windows). A couple of things to notice if you enlarge the photos below. The first two are,looking down the nave to the screen and beyond to the cantor and altar. You see the full stained glass window in the second photo. The bottom photo is looking through the screen at the nave to the back stained glass window. Notice in the first and third photos the lectern & candle holders ... 500 years old in continuous use and you cannot help but be drawn to them and be struck by their simplicity and functionality (and some very old faded painting and inscriptions if you get the light right). 

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The screen is amazing too (top left for the full view) ... the screen paintings are dated to the late 1400s and show the twelve apostles flanked by 8 other saints ... see photos below for a close up of a couple of the panels (luckily caught better light). They are arguably the most complete set in the UK so the material says.

 

So, my self-guided tour was done! I actually headed out to get the picture of the church shown above. 

Then Deb popped her head out the door and asked if I noticed you could climb the tower ... "nuh" was my reply. Given her aversion to heights I was surprised to hear her mention it, let alone suggest we go up! So up we went. A cantilevered 89 step circular stair case to the top of the tower ... and so worth it for the views across the Broads on such a beautiful afternoon. Windy up there, but see the view ...

A panorama of Ranworth Broad

Looking back to Ranworth Staithe

Freshly ploughed paddock

A brave portrait

Wndmill & sails across the Yare

Quite the unexpected delight!

When we meandered our way back down, there were two old local parishioners cleaning the church. The man inquired how our visit to the church had been ... and pretty soon we were having a personal guided tour and finding out a range of things we had not even noticed (hence the title of this post).

Apart from a more detailed explanation of the screen, he showed us more detail in the Chancel. Specifically, the hinged carved seating (mesiricords) so the elderly, tired or infirm monks could lean back rather than sit and have to stand. The backing behind these could be taken out and the rear side of the screen is also painted with a variety of flowers and other insignia (in really good condition because they have been covered).

Then the really big surprise that we did not even "see". The Antiphoner.

 

It was in a covered steel and glass cabinet under a lighted image in the wall near the church entrance/exit. We just glanced at the lighted image and thought it was a close up of one of the hand painted images in the church and thought no more about what was covered ... the real treasure of the church! I was very surprised it actually remains in the church and not some far off museum. But there is was (including a whole panel of pictures of the Queen leaving through it on another wall we ignored thinking they were images of some local church function!). This link will offer a good brief summary of what the Antiphoner is all about, but here a re a couple of images to show you the skill and beauty intracacies of the work, and the thickness of the volume - each of the 285 pages is a separate sheepskin inscribed by the monks of Langley Abbey between 1400 and 1460. Amazing!

Then to top it all off, some beautiful farmed strains of daffodils from a nearby farmer who proudly shows off the blooms bred for showing:

 

Quite the afternoon.

Highlighted to us again, just how much we may miss if you are on a tight time schedule trying to fit as much as possible into one day (or week or month) and take your lead form the guidebooks and highlight reels ... the treats are often from just taking your time to see what you are seeing rather than what you perceive to be there or have been told to look out for. Ah, that most under rated of all commodities - time!

And, who needs those big, grandiose cathedrals to worship and celebrate the simplicity and complexity of our lives?