Our last outing this year took a large group of our members not too far away, to Rollesby and St. Georges church, started by the Normans but is mainly 13th century early 14th century with the chancel being 15th century. This unobtrusive church is one of 124 round tower churches in Norfolk and Grade II listed.
As our guide Lisa Lloyd told us about the building, we walked around the outside and as I looked up to the round tower with its later octagonal stages, it struck me how important this church was and is today. The panelled flint work and chequered flushwork adds to its beauty. Inside the porch carved into the bench is a rare medieval ‘Nine Men’s Morris Game’, this was a game of strategy popular of its time. There are 3 bells although we were reliably informed that only one is rung on Sunday’s. During the 19th century much restoration work was carried out including the insertion of the east stained-glass window. The many other stained-glass windows in the church both old and new are of a special quality and which are very pleasing to look at and study. ‘Whoever you are,
Wherever you are on your journey, Whatever your background, you are welcome here’
this is the message printed in the introduction booklet to St. Georges and are words which I hope were felt by all of us visiting.
Our next destination was Rollesby Village Hall where there was a welcome cuppa and of course cake. As we took our seats Glenda Tooke, a 5th generation resident from Rollesby, put on a wonderful display of photos, pictures, historical documents including maps, parish magazines and a table full of finds all which had been discovered by detectorists. Glenda then told us about the village in her father’s and grandfather’s time, when mechanised machinery was introduced to farms, an era which was full of interesting everyday events and like today the village moved with the times with the introduction of the railway and buses, and local folk being able to commute and travel further afield. I have to admit I had stopped taking notes as I just enjoyed tales of long ago.
I hope I speak for all those who came along and enjoyed the afternoon in thanking Lisa, Glenda and Stephanie for sharing their stories and about St. George’s sitting proudly on high ground at the West end of the village.