The ruin of St Margaret's church

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 1 May 2009

Only several metres to the east of the exterior chancel wall of St Mary's church are the remains of a flint wall, which is all that is left of St Margaret's church. Little is known about this building except that it existed of chancel and nave only and did not have a tower. It is believed to have been a run for at least 300 years and some think that the two churches might have been sharing the churchyard because the township of Roklunda (Rockland) consisted of two parts in Edward the Confessor's time: one part belonged to the Earl of Norfolk, the other eventually came into the possession of the Abbots of Langley. In Henry VIII's time the two churches were joined together and became Rockland St Mary. Another example of several churches sharing one churchyard can be found at Reepham > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/766121 - http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/891179 where three churches once used to share one churchyard. St Mary's church > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1281697 was extensively restored in Victorian times and the vestry was added at that time also. The church has retained the C14 doorway with its original handle and iron. Some C15 brasses have survived inside, and the old rood screen was partially incorporated into the reredos. The C15 font has been completely recut. The organ is a late 19th century Bevington which was built by Cranmer of London and originally stood in the Surrey Chapel in Norwich. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/rocklandstmary/rocklandstmary.htm. St Mary's is open every day.

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