Animals in the Church
St Mary's Church, High Road, Redenhall, Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 9NZ
There has been a church on this site for over 1,000 years. It has a wonderful history and some fantastic treasures. St Mary's was the church to a local family, two of whom travelled to America in 1620 as part of the Mayflower journey. An audio trail has been developed to commemorate the link between St Mary's, the Fuller family and the very first Thanksgiving meal some 400 years ago.
A church can appear to be a forbidding place. For a child it could be huge, cold and unfriendly. This trail tries to make the space more approachable. Let’s focus on the not so obvious. Look beyond the pews and the pulpit. Instead of the big space, the small creature. There are lions here. Some sitting, some standing. Is that a tortoise? What is that bird holding in it’s beak? Could it be a fish? Find an eagle, this can hold a book but what animals are holding it up? They are very worn out: they must be old. Have we seen animals like this in our gardens? There are so many beasts here. Some are real, some in our imagination. These creatures welcome us into this place and make it more familiar. They make us want to explore further.
St Mary's Church, High Road, Redenhall, Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 9NZ
This event forms part of a town wide community programme involving over 20 local groups to celebrate Heritage Open Days and our association with the Mayflower ship and pilgrims which sailed to America in 1620. There is also a Mayflower association 'Voices in the Church' trail. Something for all the family.