The church of St Mary & St Walstan stands at the end of a small lane that leads from the village of Bawburgh. It is a picturesque church with it's red roof & Saxon round tower, topped with a it's cap & flame pinnacle, a symbol of the tongues of fire descending on the early Christians at Pentecost. A church has stood here since before the burial of St Walstan in 1016.
The story of St Walstan, patron saint of farmers, is one of miracles. He was from a rich family, but renounced all his possessions & became a disciple, working as a farm labourer. He was given 2 oxen as payment & recieved a message from an angel telling him he would die in 3 days. He set off with his oxen to Taverham to find a priest to give him his last rites, but there was no water to perform the ceremony, miraculously a well sprang up where he stood. He then went on to Costessey & rested here where another well appeared. His journey carried on to Bawburgh, where a 3rd & largest well magically sprang. Then angels opened a hole in the church wall & the oxen carrying St Walstan entered the church. St Walstan was buried here, though where his grave was is unknown. The site became a place of pilgrimage & St Walstan's day is celebrated here annually. The well stands in a field beyond the church.
The interior of the church is simple with white walls. The archway to the tower is 13th century, but the rest of the building is probably 14th century.The roodscreen is more modern, early 20th century, with some 15th century remains still in place.
There is a nice collection of brasses & some lovely late Medieval glass in the nave windows, depicting St Barbara & also an Annuciation scene. At the west end is a small wall painting. The bell, dated 1635, was restored & rehung in 2014.
The Cache:- you are looking for a micro in a small bag, a very short walk from the church.