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Long lost church memories come to light at Houghton on the Hill




A missing chapter in the unique history and restoration of an abandoned West Norfolk church is back home where it belongs.

Out of the blue, an anonymous donor has given the Norfolk Hospice Tapping House the original projector, slides and notes of Bob Davey MBE, the former churchwarden at St Mary's Church, Houghton on the Hill.

Now the Hospice has passed them on to the Friends of the Church to join the rest of the archive material from the church restoration and add to the memories of Mr Davey's years of work and dedication to bringing the old building back to life.

Houghton St Giles St Mary's Church makes donation to the Norfolk Hospice. (44369923)
Houghton St Giles St Mary's Church makes donation to the Norfolk Hospice. (44369923)


It was Mr Davey who revealed, under the plasterwork in the nave, some priceless 11th century wall paintings recognised as among the best and certainly the oldest of their kind.

The Friends plan to use Mr Davey's notes and slides in talks that they give about the church and its restoration and possible in the church itself.

“This is a wonderful discovery”, said Sue Gattuso, secretary to the Friends.

“We knew they had to be somewhere but had no idea where to even start looking for them.

"However good we guides may be at talking about the restoration of this tiny, remote but beautiful church in the 1990s, to be able to refer to images taken and the notes Bob wrote at the time can only enhance the story.

"We are very grateful to The Norfolk Hospice not only for realising what they had in their hands but also so generously donating them to us."

Mr Davey, a former engineer, worked tirelessly from 1992 in restoring the church which had been abandoned since the 1920s.

He was there every day, including Christmas Days, to bring the church and its garden to a condition that is now the delight of every visitor.

His work attracted worldwide interest and royal visitors and he carried on in spite of opposition and threats from some religious cults opposed to what he was doing to the building. Now aged 91, he resides in a care home in Swaffham.



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