Saints Fabian and Sebastian, Woodbastwick

This charming medieval church in the quiet village of Woodbastwick is built from local flint and thatched with Phragmites reed from the Norfolk Broads. A priest has been in charge here since 1311. In the 19th century, much of the building was restored by the famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott who designed the Albert Memorial in London. The work that finished in 1878 was paid for by the Cator family, patrons of the church. Behind the pulpit is a memorial to Elizabeth Cator who was bridesmaid to Queen Elizabeth the Queen mother and later became her sister-in-law on marriage to Michael Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore. Much of the Church interior is Victorian. The church’s glorious stained glass shows scenes from the life of Christ and phases in the use of the altar. A wooden screen carved in the late 13th century separates the nave from the chancel. A rood figure of Christ, carved from a single piece of wood, hangs above the screen reminding us his self giving, sacrificial love.