St Andrew
Lt Massingham
St Andrew, Little Massingham
Church Lane
Little Massingham
PE32 2JT Grid Ref: TF 792241
Lat: 52.785206 / Long: 0.656749 X: 579261 / Y: 324149
Grade 1 listed - open 9.00 to 4.00 pm everyday.
There are regular services and occasional services at other times. Please check details on the Calendar.
The Church is also used for Weddings, Baptisms & Funerals and at Christmas.
‹More photographs of the Church can be seen in "Our Beautiful Buildings" album. Click here.)
ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, LITTLE MASSINGHAM AWARDED MAJOR NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND GRANT
St Andrew’s Church, Little Massingham, has been awarded a major grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support an ambitious project to preserve and revitalise the historic church for future generations.
The funding will enable urgent repairs to the church roof, replacing the failing temporary covering with a permanent terne-coated stainless steel roof, helping protect the Grade I listed building from further water damage. The church has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register since the theft of its lead roof in 2017.
Alongside the essential conservation work, the project will also explore future improvements to make the church more sustainable and welcoming, including a feasibility study for accessible toilet and kitchenette facilities and trial repairs to other areas of the church using traditional materials and techniques.
The wider project celebrates the church’s place at the heart of village life and the surrounding Norfolk landscape. Plans include new digital interpretation within the church, nature interpretation boards, and heritage walking routes linked to the Peddars Way and Massingham Heath, helping visitors engage with the area’s rich history, wildlife, and rural heritage.
Revd Joshua Whitnall, Rector of Little Massingham said:
“This is wonderful news for Little Massingham and for everyone who cares about the future of St Andrew’s Church. This funding allows us not only to protect a beautiful and historic building, but to reimagine how it can continue serving the community for generations to come as a place of worship, heritage, learning, and welcome. I must express my huge thanks to those who have worked so hard to make this grant a reality!”
The project has received strong support from local volunteers, the Friends of St Andrew’s (FOSALM), The Diocese of Norwich Parish Support Team, grant funding from the Norfolk Churches Trust, conservation specialists, and members of the wider community.
Read more about the award ,the plans for the Church building and the very significant programme of improvements designed to strengthen community use of the church at www.fosalm.org Work is expected to start in September 2026.
ITV Anglia News reported this wonderful news - you can view its report in Videos or click here.
|
|
The Friends of St Andrew's, Little Massingham (FOSALM) would love to hear more from you - More details on our dedicated page here - GGM Benefice | FOSALM or you can learn more of their activities and fund raising events at their web site https://fosalm.org/
Little Massingham is located between Great Massingham to the south and Harpley to the north. The modern village is on the edge of the valley and enjoys excellent views across the dismantled railway towards Harpley. The village name derives from Old English and means ‘homestead of the family and followers of Maessa’. The Domesday Book records land being held by two men in Little Massingham in 1086. This is the earliest known documentary evidence for the village, but the archaeological records reveal that there was activity here at a much earlier period.
The village is adjacent to the ancient Peddar's Way footpath and just south of the A148 which links King's Lynn with Fakenham. Little Massingham village is little more than a half mile north of its much bigger twin Great Massingham. There is very little in the way of residential settlement - mostly farms and cottages along the lane which links Great Massingham to the A148 and centred on a "T" junction with another narrow lane.
St Andrew's church sits at that junction behind a low stone wall. The church is of mixed date with many features of the Decorated style indicating a date earlier than most church build in Norfolk. There is also, however, much that is typically Perpendicular and the church was probably built across many years and absorbed the fashions of each. A feature of the building is the unusual usage of "red chalk" from the cliffs of Hunstanton.
An airfield was built in the east of the parish during World War Two. This was a base for Blenheim and Boston bombers, and for a Mosquito squadron. The airmen working at the base used St Andrew’s Church. Several military graves can still be seen in the graveyard. The lead on the roof of the church contains an interesting selection of 19th century to modern graffiti including some examples probably written during World War Two by firewatchers.
Inside this delightful but small church is a roll of honour that lists enormous amounts of information about the crews who served at the nearby base. It gives aircraft details, mission dates and crew names amongst others. It is a hugely detailed collection of information covering 1940-45 in which time 600 Massingham crews lost their lives. Seven of these crew members, are buried in the church yard here.
The Church, like our Church in Congham, is dedicated to St Andrew and you can read more about St Andrew, Jesus's "first Apostle" here.