NHER 1136 (Building record) - St Mary's Church, Old Hunstanton

Old Hunstanton is dominated by Hunstanton Hall (NHER 1117), and in its grounds is St Mary's, one of the largest churches in this part of Norfolk. The oldest elements of the church are the Norman font and a fragment of re-used Norman stone in the vestry. The offset northwest tower is 15th century, but is completely dwarfed by the huge nave and chancel, the result of a massive and enthusiastic Victorian restoration and rebuilding exercise that included the fine tall south porch. Inside, the Norman font is set on a high pedestal in glazed 19th century tiles and the whole interior is lit by very good 19th century stained glass windows. St Mary's is not without its medieval survivals, including the rood screen and the arcades, but most visible elements date from the 19th century, including the carved alabaster pulpit, made as a memorial to Henry Styleman Le Strange (died 1862), who paid for all the rebuilding work. In the churchyard are two headstones of 1784, one to an Excise man killed by smugglers and one to a smuggler who fell in the same skirmish.