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Article - 01

From "England's Thousand best Churches" by Simon Jenkins.

Walsoken is another marsh church, now in a suburb of Wisbech.  The tower's early gothic buttresses, pinnacles and short Northampton spire are similar to Tilney's.  It is a marvellous work, so much more inventive than the perpendicular towers familiar in these parts. The west door has colonettes with stiff leaf capitals.  The body of the church exterior is conventional, low slung perpendicular.  But all this is deceptive.  Inside is the most substantial Norman Parish Church in Cambridgeshire (Really its in Norfolk!!? Webmaster).  The arcades are of nine bays, two of them in the chancel.  These have piers alternately octagonal and round.  Leading to a chancel arch which, though pointed, still has zigzag mouldings.  The west tower arch is early gothic, the roof 15th centaury with figures in canopied niches against the wall posts, a charming decoration and in my experience, unique.

More eye catching is a recent addition to the east wall of the nave, a large 17th century carving of King David playing a harp.  This faces a contemporary carving on the west wall of King Solomon.  Paintings on either side depict him about to cut the baby in half, bizarre interruptions into the peace of the nave.  I am surprised that Walsoken worshippers can ever keep their eyes to the ground.  Walsoken's other woodwork includes the parclose screen to the south aisle chapel, a delicate fretwork with much original carving.  Adjacent is a beautiful Flemish statue of St Mary and St Anne.  Even by neighbouring Norfolk standards, Walsoken's seven Sacrament font is spectacular, finely placed in the middle of the nave.  Below the reliefs of the sacraments are groin-vaulted niches containing eight saints, all in excellent condition.  The font dates from as late as 1544.

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