The church of SS Peter and Paul in Swaffham - east window

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 10 Oct 2010

The church of SS Peter and Paul > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108188 was built in 1454 - 1490, with its tower having been added in 1507 - 1510 but it is quite possible that a church has stood here for much longer. The building as we see it today was constructed of Barnack stone, brick and flint, and it has the traditional cruciform plan consisting of chancel, nave and transepts, two aisles and a west tower. The nave > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108235 is 31 metres long and still has its original double hammerbeam roof, adorned with 88 carved angels. The chancel measures 14 metres and its choir stalls have several medieval carvings > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108219 incorporated into the woodwork. The tomb > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108203 of John Botright, rector of Swaffham from 1435-1474, can be found in the north-east corner of the sanctuary. The church furniture dates mainly from the 19th century, the baptismal font was installed in 1851. Some of the benches at the east end of the nave have carved ends depicting John Chapman > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108221 - pedlar and merchant of Swaffham and a great benefactor of the church - and his dog > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108224. A C16 monument > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108206 can be found in the south transept. It commemorates Catherine Steward (d 1590) who was Oliver Cromwell's maternal grandmother. The south aisle chapel is now the War Memorial Chapel. Its window > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108211 contains glass by the Wm Morris workshop. Four of the north aisle windows contain fragments of medieval glass > http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2108230 which may be the remains of glass representing John Chapman and his family. *The grid line runs right through the centre of the church building, distributing it over two grid squares. I have placed all my images into the southern half of the church, where all other images of the church by other contributors have been placed also.

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