Wiggenhall Church St Mary Magdalen Stained glass Norfolk
St Mary
Magdalen Church is situated in the middle of Wiggenhall and is listed by Simon Jenkins’ as being one of England’s thousand
best churches whose “atmosphere derives from its lofty proportions, lightness and profuse woodwork” Luckily it escaped
a heavy Victorian restoration and retains a range of medieval features including : painted panels, pews and an aumbry
and panels of stained glass, probably dating from the 15th century.
The glass is unusual in that it includes depictions of largely unknown saints including : St Callistus, St Britius,
St Leger & St Romanus. David King suggests that the selection of saints is based upon those listed in the Litanies
of the Sarum Breviary. The Sarum Rite was popular in the 15th century and the representations of the saints would have
provided an illustration of the litany. It is believed that the glass would have provided the focus for the prayers of
the congregation whilst it was being sung. It was originally restored in 1924/5 by Samuel Cladwell, who was responsible
for the medieval glass in Canterbury Cathedral. (Details extracted from Church Guide Book)
For further information and to view the details of each window click the 
boxes below. For a downloadable and printable fact sheet click 
Information
