Church History
St Mary's Church
LB 225220
Norfolk contains the greatest concentration of medieval churches in the world. They were built largely as a result of the vast wealth created by wool. Of the 921 that were originally built, 659 remain: a testament to their skilful construction from flint – one of the most unforgiving materials, in a region devoid of freestone.
Denton's church includes the remains of a Norman round tower so was certainly there in the 12th century but probably has older, Saxon, origins.
Most of the building is later, 14th century, and the current mainly brick-built tower replaced most of its round predecessor following a collapse in the 16th centry.
However parts of the original tower remain so it is one of 185 round tower churches in England (126 in Norfolk) recognised by the Round Tower Society.
The church is flint built with stone dressings and slate roofs. The chancel is late 13th c. with a 5-light east window with intersecting tracery. The north and south chancel windows have Y-tracery. The north and south aisles are Perpendicular in style with Decorated east and west windows.
A much more detailed Description of the Building itself appears on a separate page.
As recorded on the Norfolk Churches website (which includes some nice photographs and is well worth a visit) another notable feature of the church is that it contains four different sets of royal arms, more than any other church in East Anglia.
All the glass in the church is fully described on the Norfolk Stained Glass website.
Details of a number of items with links to pictures, including a drawing of the church before the tower was extended, held by the Norfolk Museums Service can be found on a Special Page.
Details of the War Memorial, located inside the church on the south wall, can be found elsewhere in the History Section.
Information about the graves that surround the church can be obtained from the Churchwardens.
A List of Rectors appears on one separate page and details of the family of one of them, the Postlethwaites
and another distinguished Rector, William Bouverie, on others.
The Parish Records are deposited with the County Records Office in Norwich. The oldest amongst the registers is that of baptisms, following legislation under Elizabeth I, dating from 1559. Details of Baptisms from 1813 to 1880 are now available on-line.
In 2013 Denton and Alburgh held a joint Remembrance Service which included a very memorable sermon from local deacon Chris Whipps.
The text of the sermon can be viewed on a Separate Page.