NHER 8248 (Building record) - All Saints' Church, Lessingham

Church with 13th century font and piscina, but basic structure of about 1300; belfry and porch perhaps later 14th century.
15th century windows and rood stair.
Much rebuilt and restored in 1893.
Chancel ruined 1962.
Important rood screen now in St Peter Hungate Museum.
Report (S1), photographs (S2), short history (S3) and copy Ladbrooke print (S4) in file.
See also (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 15 September 2001.

The east wall of the chancel was badly damaged during a storm in October 1961 (not 1962 as stated above).
The rood screen has been moved from St Peter Hungate to a store at Gressenhall.
Information from [1], submitted via the Norfolk Heritage Explorer website.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 22 September 2008.

Further to the above, the museum store at Gressenhall has since 1995 held two sections of the dado of the rood screen and also 3 other loose medieval panels from the church. (S6) describes how the screen was originally designed and painted as an Apostle screen depicting the 12 apostles but fairly early in its life a new set of saints were applied on paper over the old. The author provides evidence to suggest that this was the output of a workshop responsible for other Norfolk screens around 1500-10. The loose panels depict St Apollonia, St Catherine and St Mary Magdalene and are generally considered to be the door of the screen. The author of (S6) noted that they do not appear to be of the same workshops as either phase of the main screen.
See (S6) for further details.
A. Yardy (HES), 15 February 2016.