What is “St Margaret’s in Ruins”?
If you haven’t visited before, St Margaret’s Church Ruins is in West Raynham, near Fakenham. The Grade II listed ruins date from the 14th century. They are set within a managed churchyard to encourage biodiversity and overlook the surrounding Raynham Estate with beautiful views of the lake. The ruins are still used occasionally as a place of worship for open-air services. People also visit the ruins whilst on walks in the local area, or as a quiet place to sit and reflect. The ruins are managed by St Margaret’s In Ruins Conservation Trust (a registered charity) which is dedicated to preserving this historic site. Their mission is to conserve the ruins, promote biodiversity, and create a space for education and community involvement.
What is happening at St Margaret’s in Ruins?
In 2024, The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded a 12-month grant to assess essential emergency work to stabilise the site. This will set in motion the future conservation of the ruins and ensure the preservation of this cherished heritage for generations to come. The overall aim of the project is to establish St Margaret’s as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for the conservation, interpretation and management of ruined churches and their churchyards across Norfolk. The ambition is to enable and inspire owners of other ruined churches in Norfolk to carry out similar projects.
As part of the current grant, the Trustees are exploring ways to engage people in potential activities and events, from talks and walks to wellbeing workshops and skills training days. They welcome hearing your feedback about these plans and how you could best be supported to manage and conserve church ruins in your care.
How can I help?
A short form is available here or via our website (see below) to capture views and ideas from you. It will take 5 minutes or less to complete and is anonymous. To say thank you for your time, you can then enter into a free prize draw to win one annual family membership pass to Norfolk Wildlife Trust. The form is only available over the summer so don’t leave it too long! If you would like a paper copy, please get in touch with Harriet Foster (dr-foster@outlook.com; 07519 705639).
To find out more
Visit our website www.stmargaretsruins.org/about-us/
See us on social media:
Facebook (Friends of St Margaret’s Church Ruins, West Raynham)
Instagram (stmargaretschurch4)
