Bixley – Saint Wandregesilius Church (Leslie Fenn)

I spent the morning at Norfolk Record Office and was researching the church at Bixley for some time. That task was made much easier by the research work of a gentleman named Leslie Fenn (1910-1989) who was an amateur local historian who had a special interest in the church.

He has compiled a large A4 ring binder full of information about the church, which can be seen on request at Norfolk Record Office. His researches have been extensive and the files contain copies of letters from the British Library and other locations when he had paid for information to be sent to him.

Fenn was the headmaster at Redenhall Secondary Modern School towards the end of his career and his fascination with history throughout his life shines through just from this one folder full of documents. He was a Lay Reader at Bixley Church and had a huge interest in the history of the building. I dread to think what he’d have thought of the arsonist who destroyed the church and also at the lack of repairs being made to the building.

Certainly future generations benefit from the work of people such as Leslie Fenn, their contribution to local history might be small individually, but is beyond measure when looked at collectively with the work of many other men and women like him.