Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands in the quiet village of Redenhall in Norfolk. Its Grade I listed building has served the parish of Redenhall-cum-Harleston and Wortwell for centuries. The church began as a round-tower church of Saxon or Norman times, traces of which were found beneath the nave in 1858. The oldest part now visible is the chancel, built in the early 1300s under rector William de Neuport. The nave and aisles date from the 15th and 16th centuries, a period of grand church building across East Anglia.

The church’s crowning glory is its magnificent tower, begun around 1460 and completed with funds from several bequests. The tower rises 32 metres to the top of its pinnacles, dominating the skyline of the village. The chancel’s benefactor, William de Neuport, oversaw its construction between 1319 and 1326. The church was originally the mother church of St John the Baptist in nearby Harleston, which served as its chapel of ease.

Visitors find a church shaped by a thousand years of worship and rebuilding. The chancel’s early 14th-century stonework contrasts with the later nave and aisles. The tower’s height and craftsmanship reflect the pride of 15th-century builders. Inside, the nave arcades and chancel step reveal traces of the earlier round-tower church beneath. The village setting adds to the sense of continuity, with the church standing at the heart of Redenhall’s history.