Cards and Calendars will be on sale at our Saturday Markets – the next one is Saturday 18 December, 10-12.30, Forncett Village Hall, NR16 1JG - and can be ordered from April Carlin: 01953 788775,
You can also order a wide range of Christmas goodies: , 8” cakes fully iced £15, puddings large and small, £10 and £5, plus mince pies, sausage rolls etc. from April Carlin.
Lovely sets of Christmas cards from designs by two local artists are now on sale – 6 cards for £5; 5 packs for £20.
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| Sarah Allen's painting | Rachael Fretter's photograph |
Thanks to Sarah and Rachel for their inspiring painting and photograph, and to Su Leavesley for production.
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| Our 2022 Calendar |
Our Fabulous Forncett 2022 Calendar is also on sale – a bargain at £6.
Lovely shots taken in the village by local people make great stocking fillers as well as useful and beautiful items for you.
Thanks to everyone who sent in photos and to Emma Mace, a Graphic Desginer who put it together for us for free.
Scrumptious foods for Christmas and any time you fancy them. Thanks to all our bakers.
Delicious Christmas cakes. Photo: A Carlin Cards, Calendars and Christmas foods are on sale at our Saturday Markets – the next one is Saturday 18 December, 10-12.30, Forncett Village Hall, NR16 1JG - and can be ordered from April Carlin: 01953 788775,
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- Written by: Ally Rae
Friday 19th November, 6.30pm, Friends View with wine & nibbles.
Come and join us for a relaxed and atmospheric evening to enjoy the show. Tickets are £5 including a glass of wine and nibbles, from Gilly Barnes: 01508 813055,
Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st November, 10.00am - 4.00pm. Winter Art Exhibition and Sale – Free Entry, Free parking
Have a warming drink and enjoy a mince pie or two, sit a while and relax in this beautiful peaceful church, take in the music and atmosphere, wander, view and maybe buy the creations on display. If you are looking for original and beautiful handmade gifts for Christmas or wishing to spoil yourself, then this is the occasion not to miss.Hand-made gifts,decorations, and a varied range of art andcrafts, created by this talented group of local creatives.
In support of St Peter’s, with 10% of sales and donations for refreshments to the FoSP.
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- Written by: Gill Starkie & Ally Rae
St Peter’s Forncett - 1,000 years of history
For the first time in the history of Heritage Open Days St Peter's is joining in! An opportunity to go behind the scenes and it's free. Step inside the exceptional flint round tower of St Peter's Church - an Anglo-Saxon treasure built around 1000 AD. A very rare 16th century stair and a jewel window await you.
The top of the ancient staircase Photo: A MoskvinaThe round tower of St Peter's Church, Forncett St Peter, is usually locked for safety reasons. Today you will be able to step under the narrow arch and stand within the massive walls, where the bell ropes snake down from the bell loft above. Access up the tower is via an extremely rare wooden staircase, shaped to the curve of the wall, the great treads worn by the foosteps of generations. Gaze up into the darkness and wonder. The stair and tower access is too dangerous to go up now, but there will be photographs of the upper floors. One of the small lancet windows is a gem of gleaming Victorian stained glass. The tower is considered one of the finest Anglo-Saxon round towers in the country and you can also explore the rest of the church which is usually open, with Anglo-Saxon herringbone flintwork in the chancel and Norfolk flushwork in the porch. Take a look at the pew carvings - seasons of the year, the vices - they are all here. Can you find avarice? Volunteers will be on hand to tell you the very special story of St Peter's. A wonderful setting where William and Dorothy Wordsworth walked in the late 1700's; perfect for a short - or longer - walk along the adjacent Tas Valley Way before tea. Refreshments available.
More details here: Heritage Open Days
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- Written by: Ally Rae
Very sadly the church has had to be closed to vistors and services for the time being. The serious problem with the chancel roof, identified during detailed investigations in October, has led to a recommendation to provide temporary propping until a full repair can be undertaken. Until this can be installed the church is likely to remain closed.
We are very sorry not to be able to welcome you to this wonderful building. The situation highlights the precarious condition of the church and the critical need for repairs. If you are able to help donations can be made using the Donate button on this page.
The churchyard is open and we hope you will enjoy it's peace and tranquillity.
Pedestrian access is down the drive through the small side gate attached to the main gates, or you are welcome to stroll up through the churchyard.
We are sorry that disabled access is so limited at the moment - it is on our 'To Do' list!
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- Written by: Ally Rae
Let St Peter’s inspire your creativity on Sunday 22 August!
This drop-in art workshop is for everyone, whatever your experience or creative interests. Come and have a go...sketch. paint, or just enjoy a creative atmosphere.
Stay with us as long as you’d like. The day begins at 10 am and will finish at 4 pm. You can come for 20 minutes or bring a packed lunch and stay with us for the whole day.
Please feel free to bring your own materials, maybe you have a sketchbook or pens, pencils and paint, however there will be plenty available to get you started. Remember, you don’t need to have any experience, Ana and Gill will be there to guide you.
If you have one – please bring a folding chair / stool, it will mean you will have more flexibility as to where you will sit and sketch – plus you can enjoy the sketching opportunities in the churchyard too, but don’t worry if you don’t have one.
People under 16 please - bring an adult with you. (it’s an insurance thing!!! – we’d love to have you)
Tea, coffee, soft drinks and cake provided; please bring lunch if you are staying all day. Covid precautions in place.
Free. Donations welcome!
This will be a perfect opportunity to escape for the day. A time for you to relax in the tranquillity of this beautiful historic church. Pass the word, bring your friends and family.
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- Written by: Gill Starkie
A lively talk on the history of the church by Dr Ana Moskvina. Ana is amazingly knowledgeable about our church and is the Historic Building Support Officer for the Diocese of Norwich. This should be a really interesting talk and an opportunity for us all to learn more about this wonderful Grade 1 listed building with its roots firmly planted in the Anglo-Saxon period. It's round tower is considered by many to be the best example in the country.
The talk will be followed by Pimms and nibbles.
Tickets for this event are £5 from Gilly Barnes:
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- Written by: Ally Rae
Photo: A RaeSaturday 19 June 2021
10.00-13.00
Forncett Village Hall
Low Road, Forncett St Mary’s, NR16 1JG
A wonderful array of all sorts of Bric-a-Brac, Preserves, Cakes, Plants
Refreshments
Free Entry & Parking
Covid security measures will be in place, please follow the direction of the stewards
All profits to Save St Peter’s Fund
At last an opportunity to get out and find that bargain and to support St Peter's
Any questions please contact April Carlin:
A huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone who supported the Bric-a-Brac Sale last weekend. We raised £406, which really helps to move things forward. It was also wonderful to see friends and supporters - a lovely sociable morning, and the rain held off!
So many people helped with donations, getting things ready on the day, selling and buying as well as making teas and coffees and clearing up afterwards. Thank you all.
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- Written by: Ally Rae
Have you looked at St Peter’s Church recently? I mean really looked. Stand in front of that iconic tower and what do you see? A round tower? History? Flints? Gargoyles? A problem in search of a solution? Well take one more look. Can you see it? Hidden in plain sight a wonderfully cute face looks back at us, with his narrow eyes and mouth and little button nose. The Friends of St Peter’s were very lucky to get the help of a talented local graphic designer, Greg Jordan, to design a logo for us. Greg saw it straight away and so our logo was born.
The face of St Peter's. Photo: A Rae
This strikingly simple and effective image will be the new face of the save St Peter’s campaign. It will promote our Facebook and JustGiving pages, all our publicity materials and our grant applications. It was very important to develop something distinctive and eye-catching to help the campaign stick in people’s minds, as we reach out beyond our own community.
A huge ‘thank you’ to Greg for working with us on our publicity imagery. Further work to develop a distinctive house style and ‘brand’ is under way and we’ll be sharing more of this journey later.
Greg runs his own graphic design company and you can find out more here: http://www.applejuicedesign.co.uk/
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- Written by: Ally Rae
Three creative designs from Foncett Art Group members. Photo A Carlin
Why not support us by buying a pack of these beautiful Christmas cards? All designed and painted by people from the Forncett community who belong to the vibrant local art group. They are original, showing the church from different viewpoints, and are very attractive, being beautifully drawn and painted. Every penny from every pack sold will go towards our appeal. There are 3 designs, each sold in packs of 6 for £5 a pack or 5 packs for £20. Great value.
You can place your order with: April Carlin
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- Written by: Claire Jordan
Ready to go - cycle, walk or drive for St Peter's. Photo: P Schmidt-Hansen.
A huge ‘Thank You!’ to everyone who raised funds for St Peter’s by taking part in the Norfolk Churches Trust annual tour of churches in September 2020. Cycling, walking or driving to as many churches as they could in a day was fun and effective! The results are now out - a magnificent £1,295.56 was raised through sponsorship by people taking part on behalf of St Peter’s and will be split equally between St Peter’s and other Norfolk churches in need. That’s £647.78 towards our target. NCT has already given us a £1,000 grant for emergency repairs in 2019 so it’s great to be able to help other churches too.
Help to Save St Peter’s Church, Forncett,
Saturday 12 September 2020, 9am-5pm.
Make use of all that lockdown exercise by joining the annual sponsored bike ride – you can also walk, drive, ride a horse – be creative!
How many churches you can visit during the day?
It’s fun with family and friends - make a day of it. Arrangements are Covid 19 safe and you can record your visit at all churches even if they have to stay closed. Sadly it won't be possible to offer refreshments, but please bring your own to enjoy in the tranquility of the churchyards. Take photos.
Have a great day in lovely countryside
Half of the sponsorship money you raise will go to your nominated church – please choose St Peter’s which needs £750,000 for essential work.
The other half goes to help other ancient Norfolk churches in need.
Get your Sponsorship Form:
Gilly Barnes Tel – 01508 813055 email:
More information about the Bike Ride is avaiable here: NCT Annual Sponsored Bike Ride
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- Written by: Ally Rae