St George's Church, Shimpling

A church with perfect proportions

Away from the village, down a track through fields, St George's has a lovely view towards a nearby wood. With its Norman round tower, octagonal upper stage and a little spire added in 1863, Shimpling is essentially a beautifully proportioned building, sympathetically restored by E C Lee between 1867-1874. Items of note include an octagonal fifteenth-century font and some pieces of Medieval stained glass.

The origin of the name Shimpling is uncertain but it may have been the place of Scimpel, a north European settler, whose name meant ‘joker’ in Old German. In Edward the Confessor’s time the manor of Simplingaham was held by Torbert, a freeman, and there was a church here with 10 acres of land. The earliest church may have been of timber but a stone church was built in late Saxon or early Norman times as suggested by uncoursed flintwork (now beneath rendering), tapering nave walls and the narrow, splayed, window revealed in the south wall. At the Norman Conquest(1066)the manor was granted to Roger Bigot who gave it to Robert de Vallibus. Around 1280 the manor passed to the de Schympling family whose coat of arms is displayed in the east window. The chancel with simple Y-traceried windows was probably added about 1300. Stained glass of the period showing rich architectural canopies survives in the tops of the chancel windows. The chancel roof was replaced about 1633. The round tower is one of125 in Norfolk and is of uncertain age. The use of brick with the flint and integral staircase suggested a late, perhaps 14th-century, date but blocked circular openings revealed in 1987 may indicate a Saxon Norman origin. The octagon belfry was probably added in the 15th century at which time the nave was remodelled with large new traceried windows and a fine arch-braced roof. Some contemporary stained glass angels and poppy head bench ends remain. A sympathetic restoration was undertaken by Ernest Lee in 1867–74 which, thankfully, largely conserved rather than replaced surviving medieval fabric and features. Following pastoral redundancy in the 20th century, St George’s was placed in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust in 1987.

To donate by text, please text 'SHI' to 70970 to donate £5 and to 70191 to donate £10. Thank you.

Due to the historic nature of the building there is no heating, running water or toilet facilities. The church is lit by natural light