Houghton on the Hill

Houghton on the Hill is a deserted medieval village in Norfolk’s Breckland district. Only a farm and St Mary’s Church remain from the once-thriving settlement. The church stands on a site with traces of prehistoric and Roman occupation, including flint tools and a nearby Roman villa. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as belonging to Reynold, son of Ivo, and the nave was built in that period. By 1854 the parish had ten houses and fifty residents, but the church fell into disuse after bomb damage in the First World War. The church’s greatest treasure is its rare Romanesque wall paintings, uncovered during 1990s restoration led by local man Bob Davey MBE. These paintings date from the late 11th century and include the earliest-known large-scale scheme in England. The east wall shows the Last Judgment, with the Trinity above and figures of the saved and damned below. Other scenes depict the Raising of the Dead and rows of saints or apostles holding scrolls. Visitors find a quiet country church supported by a charitable trust. Guided tours explain the paintings and the village’s history, from Bronze Age finds to the Zeppelin raid of 1918. The churchyard and surrounding fields still hold fragments of the lost village, while the farm nearby keeps the landscape alive. The restoration effort is remembered in a BBC Radio 4 obituary programme, linking past and present in this peaceful spot.