Church of St Mary, North Tuddenham, Norfolk
Address
Church of St Mary, North Tuddenham, Dereham, NR20 3NJRecommended by
Highlight
St George panel in the west windowArtist, maker and date
15th century school of Norwich glass painters, c. 1420-30.Reason for highlighting
One of the most stunning pieces of glass painting I have ever seen. This window depicts events from the life of St George, showing him raising his visor to a lady at the top and slaying the dragon below. The expressivity of the faces is mesmerising and the detail quite spectacular. This is a window of the highest quality skill and craftsmanship ever produced. Bring your binoculars for this one for seeing the detail up close is to be highly recommended. I was lucky enough to see it on the workbench in Barley Studios where it was recently, and being able to see the artistry of this window up close was an unforgettable experience.
The window was originally made for elsewhere, somewhere in Norfolk most likely, but exactly where is not certain. It was rescued in the 1860s from destruction by the rector of North Tuddenham, Rev. Robert Barry, and we should be immensely grateful to him ever more.
This is one panel set into a large window with nineteenth century glass by Ward & Hughes.
Other comments
There is much other marvellous medieval glass at North Tuddenham, all rescued from elsewhere and from their destruction. Most of this is fragmentary, but panels with scenes from the life of St Margaret are particularly wonderful and can also be found in the same window as the St George panel. There is much other nineteenth century glass by Ward & Hughes though this is not the star draw here.
The church itself is a beautiful building in very attractive surrounds. The fourteenth-century tower in which the selected window is contained was recently saved from collapse and is a highly attractive feature with chequerboard buttresses.
Further reading: Stories in Glass – A Guide to Medieval Stained Glass in Norfolk by David King (The Lutterworth Press, 2024)