Cobble-faced cottages, Holt

This terrace of cobble-faced cottages dates from the early to mid-nineteenth century. They can be found on one side of Albert Street in the small town of Holt, Norfolk, a place where they are accompanied by many more buildings that are faced with these small, water-worn pebbles.

I noted them several years ago and saw them once again when I was watching an episode of "Dad's Army", a comedy TV series based on Britain's WW2 Home Guard. The series was filmed in Norfolk and the production team must have thought the distinctive features of this row of humble houses would be a good backdrop for one of the scenes.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300     2015

Sustead church, Norfolk

Four miles south-west of Cromer in Norfolk is the small village of Sustead. In 2009 we stopped off there to have a look at the parish church of St Peter and St Paul. The architecture of this building, like many in Eastern England, reflects the ongoing attempts of the parish to erect, embellish, extend and repair its most important structure. You can see work from the Saxon and Norman periods, from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, from the time of the Tudors and the Victorians. The piecemeal work of the roof (pantiles and plaintiles) and the walls (rubble, flint, render, bricks and cut stone) give it a "worked over" look that suggests enough money was rarely forthcoming. The vast majority of English church towers are rectangular. The tower at Sustead is one of 124 round towers in the county of Norfolk. The other examples are in Suffolk (38), Essex (6), Sussex (3), Cambridgeshire (2) and Berkshire (2).

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus E-510     2009

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk

Sometimes there is a coming together of time of day, season, weather and position such that you can't help taking what I call a "tourist shot". On a recent visit to Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, a mainly brick fortified house of 1482 and later, such a confluence occurred and I took the above photograph. What you might not initially notice, however, is the aspect that detracts from the image, namely the green/yellow, scum-like blanket weed on the surface of part of the moat caused by eutrophication. The covering isn't entirely of this source; the darker areas are water lily leaves, also present in large numbers. I imagine work is done to control the weed, but the recent very hot, dry weather can't have made that job easier.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Pilot Street, King's Lynn

Prior to the renaming in 1809 Pilot Street in King's Lynn, Norfolk, was called Dowshill Street. It lies at the northern edge of the medieval town near the church of St Nicholas, now well within the much larger built-up area. It also used to be longer than it is today: road schemes of the twentieth century truncated it. However, it still offers interest to anyone with an eye for architectural history, featuring buildings of the 1400s, 1500s, 1700s and 1800s. The photograph above complements one I took in 2012 from the other end of this curved street.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

St Margaret, King's Lynn

The building of King's Lynn's church of St Margaret began around 1101 and from those early days evidence may be seen in the base of the west towers. However, like most large churches its construction took a few hundred years. The oldest tower is the far one (south west) built in the 1100s and 1200s, but with a new bell stage added in the 1300s. The other tower mainly dates from 1453 and the following years. Since they were each built in the style(s) of the times they differ considerably. The church had a priory attached in the early days. In 2011 it was re-designated King's Lynn Minster by the Bishop of Norwich.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Wooden angel with lute

The worshippers in England's medieval churches were often surveyed from on high by angels. Wooden angels, of the kind shown above, that is.These angels were frequently playing instruments - making music and singing - as they were said to do in the Bible. Almost all of those above the nave and chancel of the church of St Nicholas in King's Lynn, Norfolk were equipped with stringed, wind and percussion instruments, and all but two were made of unpainted wood. Only those in the chancel near the altar received colour. Incidentally, photographing these angels is always difficult due to the glare from windows and artificial lights. You can see it creeping in at the bottom of the frame.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Inshore fishing boat, King's Lynn

A number of fishing boats can be seen moored at Kings Lynn in Norfolk. These inshore boats mainly fish in the large, shallow bay between Lincolnshire and East Anglia called The Wash. Their principal catch is, I read, cockles, most of which are processed in the town and then sold to Spain. Though the boats are usually tied fast to the quayside sometimes one is more loosely fastened, like "Seagull" above, making for a more interesting photograph.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Green Man misericord

A misericord is a seat in church choir stalls. It folds up and offers a small ledge on which a medieval monk would lean. This would rest his weary legs and make onlookers think he was standing during the periods of the long religious service when that was required. The one in the photograph, is raised (the ledge is above the carved head), and has like most misericords, a carving on its base. Here it is a "Green Man", a character that is widely thought to be pre-Christian i.e. pagan, but which the church adopted and adapted. This example is one of the "disgorging" variety. That is to say, leaves come only from his mouth. It dates from c.1370-80 and is one of a group in the church of St Margaret at King's Lynn in Norfolk.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Wreck of the steam trawler, "Sheraton"

The steam trawler, "Sheraton", was a steel-bodied ship about 50 feet long, built in 1907. During WW1 it was used in boom defence work and in WW2 it was a patrol vessel. In 1945 it became a target ship and in 1947, while being towed for use as a target hulk, it was blown ashore in a gale at Hunstanton, Norfolk. Some of the superstructure was cut away and the rest was left to the sea. With each passing year it becomes less and less.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10