The History:
St Felix is situated in Babingley, a small hamlet and abandoned village approximately 6 miles north of Kings Lynn. A few houses remain off the A149 Kings Lynn- Hunstanton road. Its claim to fame is that it is said to be the place where St Felix of Burgundy, Apostle to the East Angles, landed in Britain from Gaul in AD 631 and who was widely credited as introducing Christianity to the kingdom of East Anglia.
The rebuilt 14th-century parish church of St Felix was used for worship until the early 19th century. It sits in a field 200m north of the River Babingley and is now part of the nearby Sandringham estate on the site of what was thought to be the first Christian church to be built in Norfolk. The ruin today dates back to the 14th-century along with its 15th century south porch addition, built in the main of grey Sandringham stone and carstone with limestone dressings. The church consisted of a nave, north and south aisles with two-bay arcade, chancel, and west tower. These were constructed in three stages culminating with the west tower. It has undergone a number of alterations. The north aisle was demolished and its arcade blocked. Additionally the chancel arch has been bricked up and a Decorated Gothic window from the south side of the chancel re-set in the brickwork.
It's ruined state goes back along way - in a 1602 survey the chancel was described as 'decaying' and by 1752, 'dilapidated'. It is pictured below in an 1825 lithograph:
Babingley Church by HughieDW, on Flickr
William Whites' History, Gazetter and Directory stated in 1845 that "the tower and nave are in tolerable repair, but the chancel is in ruins" Repairs were apparently attempted four years later in 1849 (Pevsner) but he introduction of the mission church just off the main road in 1880 was the final nail in the St Felix's coffin as the church had its roof removed, although the church yard continued to be used into the 20th century. It was Grade I listed in March 1951. Now bar the 15th century porch the church is completely roofless.
The Explore:
It is one of the finest ruined churches in Norfolk but also the most difficult to get to, located deep into private land. My initial approach was a fail. I set off on a footpath located South-East off the A149. I soon came to the Babingley River and decided I needed to be on the north bank of it. The right turn off the footpath onto the north bank soon became impassable and I admitted defeat and returned to my car. The nearest road to the church was private and leads to Hall Farm. Signs warn of CCTV so that was a no-no. There was nothing for it. I parked up at the junction of the B1439 and the A149,walked back south along the later until I was exactly due east of the ruins and went for it. Yomping one km across farmer's fields I evaded the gaze of Hall Farm and eventually arrived that the ruins. Unsurprisingly I had the place to myself. It is much overgrown in the summer months and I had to battle the undergrowth to get in. The day had been cloudy and a bit overcast which was a bit of a disappointment. However when I headed to the west of the ruin to get a view of the whole church with the west tower in the foreground, the clouds parted and the most glorious shafts of sunlight illuminated the church. So back I yomped triumphantly again evading the gaze of potentially unhappy land owners.
The Pictures:
St Felix comes into view!
img7090 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img7092 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The roofline of the nave is clearly evident in this picture:
img7091bw by HughieDW, on Flickr
And in we go via the 15th century porch:
img7121 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The only 'semi' roofed bit of the church left:
img7128 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The first of the arches of the two-bay arcade on the south aisles:
img7126bw by HughieDW, on Flickr
And the other. Note Decorated Gothic window from the south side of the chancel re-set in the brickwork:
img7125 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Close-up of reset Gothic window:
img7118 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The rather overgrown nave:
img7115 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img7097 by HughieDW, on Flickr
On to the West Tower and the view up:
img7114 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Back out and a side view from the west of the 15th century porch:
img7101 by HughieDW, on Flickr
North side of the church where the demolished north aisles would have been:
img7150 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Close-up of the West Tower:
img7139 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And close-up of the tower's delightful ground-floor window:
img7108bw by HughieDW, on Flickr
Ah! This is why we came to this 14th century ecclesiastical gem…
img7146 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img7148 by HughieDW, on Flickr
St Felix is situated in Babingley, a small hamlet and abandoned village approximately 6 miles north of Kings Lynn. A few houses remain off the A149 Kings Lynn- Hunstanton road. Its claim to fame is that it is said to be the place where St Felix of Burgundy, Apostle to the East Angles, landed in Britain from Gaul in AD 631 and who was widely credited as introducing Christianity to the kingdom of East Anglia.
The rebuilt 14th-century parish church of St Felix was used for worship until the early 19th century. It sits in a field 200m north of the River Babingley and is now part of the nearby Sandringham estate on the site of what was thought to be the first Christian church to be built in Norfolk. The ruin today dates back to the 14th-century along with its 15th century south porch addition, built in the main of grey Sandringham stone and carstone with limestone dressings. The church consisted of a nave, north and south aisles with two-bay arcade, chancel, and west tower. These were constructed in three stages culminating with the west tower. It has undergone a number of alterations. The north aisle was demolished and its arcade blocked. Additionally the chancel arch has been bricked up and a Decorated Gothic window from the south side of the chancel re-set in the brickwork.
It's ruined state goes back along way - in a 1602 survey the chancel was described as 'decaying' and by 1752, 'dilapidated'. It is pictured below in an 1825 lithograph:
William Whites' History, Gazetter and Directory stated in 1845 that "the tower and nave are in tolerable repair, but the chancel is in ruins" Repairs were apparently attempted four years later in 1849 (Pevsner) but he introduction of the mission church just off the main road in 1880 was the final nail in the St Felix's coffin as the church had its roof removed, although the church yard continued to be used into the 20th century. It was Grade I listed in March 1951. Now bar the 15th century porch the church is completely roofless.
The Explore:
It is one of the finest ruined churches in Norfolk but also the most difficult to get to, located deep into private land. My initial approach was a fail. I set off on a footpath located South-East off the A149. I soon came to the Babingley River and decided I needed to be on the north bank of it. The right turn off the footpath onto the north bank soon became impassable and I admitted defeat and returned to my car. The nearest road to the church was private and leads to Hall Farm. Signs warn of CCTV so that was a no-no. There was nothing for it. I parked up at the junction of the B1439 and the A149,walked back south along the later until I was exactly due east of the ruins and went for it. Yomping one km across farmer's fields I evaded the gaze of Hall Farm and eventually arrived that the ruins. Unsurprisingly I had the place to myself. It is much overgrown in the summer months and I had to battle the undergrowth to get in. The day had been cloudy and a bit overcast which was a bit of a disappointment. However when I headed to the west of the ruin to get a view of the whole church with the west tower in the foreground, the clouds parted and the most glorious shafts of sunlight illuminated the church. So back I yomped triumphantly again evading the gaze of potentially unhappy land owners.
The Pictures:
St Felix comes into view!
The roofline of the nave is clearly evident in this picture:
And in we go via the 15th century porch:
The only 'semi' roofed bit of the church left:
The first of the arches of the two-bay arcade on the south aisles:
And the other. Note Decorated Gothic window from the south side of the chancel re-set in the brickwork:
Close-up of reset Gothic window:
The rather overgrown nave:
On to the West Tower and the view up:
Back out and a side view from the west of the 15th century porch:
North side of the church where the demolished north aisles would have been:
Close-up of the West Tower:
And close-up of the tower's delightful ground-floor window:
Ah! This is why we came to this 14th century ecclesiastical gem…
