Fleggburgh – St. Mary’s Church Ruins

This is the path that goes to the ruined church of St. Mary’s near to the village of Fleggburgh, which is also known as Burgh St. Margaret. It’s common for churches to have public footpath networks around them, as that was a necessity for people to walk to church, but there has been no active church here for around 450 years.

The church, or what’s left of it, was first built in the twelfth century and was remodelled in the fourteenth century.

Inside the tower of what feels a slightly magical place, as although it’s near to a main road, it still feels that little bit desolate.

And the outside of the tower, with a worryingly large crack.

The arch between the tower and the nave.

This is the north of the nave, the only substantial part of the church still standing other than the tower.

The rest of the stonework is heavily covered in ivy.

And photos of the church from the field. The church served the village of Burgh St. Mary, but this settlement became smaller and has mostly now entirely disappeared. The church’s last recorded rector was in 1554 and it’s known that the church was in ruins by the beginning of the seventeenth century. That it’s lasted for 400 more years is quite impressive and although some stone has been robbed, it’s likely that this was some considerable time ago.