The area surrounding Reepham may be rural, but there is certainly nothing rural about the history of this small geographical area of the British Isles.

One of the families that became instrumental in the construction of Salle Church can trace their lineage back to the barons who were present at the singing of the Magna Carta in 1215, from which our constitutional law today extends.

Anne Boleyn, the famous 2nd wife of King Henry VIII (who was executed upon her husband’s orders in the grounds of the Tower of London), who is famously attributed with the breakup of the Catholic Church in England and the start of the reformation in 1534, was brought up at Blickling Hall – not far from Salle Church – and whose family became one of the principle funders behind the building of the church at Salle. Even today you can pace the stone slabs and view the brass monuments to the generations of Boleyn’s burried here. It is also rumoured, via various sources throughout history, that Anne Boleyn’s final resting place could well be found in Salle Church.

St Mary’s Church in Reepham was the site of a ‘holy shrine’, a place of pilgrimage in medieval times where thousands upon thousands of people flocked to be ‘healed’ or blessed by an image of the Virgin Mary, known as ‘Our Lady of Reepham’. This shrine and any shadow of it has long since disappeared, but the echo of the past reminds us of a place that is rich in heritage, and most importantly, one with a definite footprint of spirituality that can still be felt today.

The Kerdiston’s, a wealthy local family (notable for their rise to high status in the 15th century), were High Sheriff’s of Norfolk, Lord Mayors of London and lenders to monarchs and aristocrats. The monument of Thomas de Kerdiston can be found in the chancel of St Mary’s, Reepham, a monument believed to record a particular aspect of one man’s role within the King’s army: that of a crusader Knight, defender of the Holy Land (Jerusalem). There is even some speculation by 18th century historians that one of the family was a Templar Knight.

The list of historical links could continue, citing connections with Geoffrey Chaucer, the plague of 1603 that killed half of the population of the town (long before the ‘black death’ decimated London) and a fire in the 16th century which burned most of the old town of Reepham and destroyed one of the three churches that occupy the site of the present churches of Reepham.

The history of a place certainly tells us where we have come from, but the most important aspect about reflecting on history is also knowing where you are heading in the future. At Reepham Benefice, worship and ministry are focused on the here-and-now; however, as you can see, our history is worth a look too!