I followed up my curiosity about why churches with round towers are unusual, and found that they are particularly unusual outside of East Anglia. Welford's St Gregory's Church would be one of only 12 such churches outside of East Anglia. The round tower is Norman believed to have been built on Saxon foundations.
Where there is a lack of conventional stone, walls were made of flint. To make the corners strong, they would need to bring in stone from a distance, making it expensive. The solution was to make round towers. When a congregation could afford it, they would upgrade the tower to the square style, which carried much more prestige. This is another reason why round towers are so rare, and also why they tend to be found hidden in small country areas.
Showing posts with label Church with Round Tower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church with Round Tower. Show all posts
Monday, 2 March 2009
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