Great Snoring can be explored through specific historical details and routes: St Mary preserves medieval furnishings, while a circular walking route and the pilgrimage route to Walsingham place the village in two distinct route contexts. Those looking to combine church art and local history will find several clearly distinguishable themes here.
St Mary: Medieval Furnishings
St Mary dates from the 13th century, with additions from the 14th and 15th centuries. Particularly rich in detail is the 15th-century rood screen in the chancel: two painted panels survived the Reformation. Thus, the medieval building history and a furnishing with its own historical legacy stand side by side in the same church.
The furnishings also include a rare royal coat of arms of James II and a preserved battlefield cross brought back from the battlefields of France. Such crosses were brought to the home parishes of the fallen. The coat of arms and the cross add royal and military-history perspectives to the medieval details.
St Mary’s Church is normally open daily from approximately 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; check opening hours before your visit. From the churchyard, there are extensive views across fields on most sides. The view may change with the seasons.
Remembrance and Historic Buildings
The Great Snoring War Memorial dates from 1921 and was later expanded with additions commemorating the Second World War. It commemorates 22 local servicemen who died in the First World War, as well as two men who fell in the Second World War. The different wartime connections and later additions make the history of this memorial site particularly tangible.
The Old Rectory is a Grade II* listed building. It was originally built as a manor house for the Shelton family and was initially a hexagonal house around an open courtyard; it later became the rectory. Its unusual shape distinguishes the building from the memorial sites and church architecture.
A new workhouse for the Walsingham Union was built on the outskirts of Great Snoring in 1836. The complex soon became known as “Thursford Castle,” and a stone at the southern entrance still bears this name today. The derelict chapel is the largest surviving building in the complex. Check the condition on site before planning a visit.
Circular Walk and Pilgrimage Route
Great Snoring lies on Walk 3, the “Green Way circular walk to Great Snoring.” Another route connection is the pilgrimage route from Norwich to Walsingham: it passes through Great Snoring via The Street and Barsham Road. On leaving the village along Barsham Road, pilgrims turn onto the Greenway towards Walsingham.
Different route contexts therefore sit side by side: Walk 3 is described as a circular walk, while the pilgrimage route places Great Snoring on the link between Norwich and Walsingham. The permissive access arrangements for Walk 3 and the conditions on the pilgrimage route may change; check local conditions before setting out.
Discover more destinations: South Pickenham, Thursford, Syderstone, Tittleshall, Melton Constable, Northrepps, Cromer, Wymondham
For the broader travel overview: Norfolk.
