WELCOME TO
ST MARTIN'S CHURCH
THOMPSON
St Martin’s History
Thompson is an ancient settlement dating from the 10th century and the church of St Martin dates from approximately 1300. Our timeline shows a fascinating history since its endowment as a Collegiate Church in 1349 and the building of the college in which six priests resided. Several influential people have been associated with the church, including John Pory, who was born in Thompson in 1572 and became the first Speaker of the first Legislative Assembly in Virginia, and Prince Frederick Duleep Singh who helped save the church 100 years ago.
Our church is once again in need of help. The work to the nave roof was much more extensive, complex & unfortunately more expensive than we expected and as a result we have had to postpone works to the chancel roof, which is likely to be suffering from the same issues as the nave, and also the below ground rain water drainage system, without which the fabric of the church will not fully dry out. This is before we start on the interior....
Letter from Vanessa - May 2026
‘Memories of Childhood Summer Holidays….’
As I write, I’m sitting on our canal boat, moored up on the river Nene, listening to the sounds around me. There are birds chirping, ducks, geese and swans swimming, and the distant sound across the valley of sheep bleating, cows mooing and farmers
working in the fields on their tractors.
These sights and sounds take me right back to my own school holidays mostly spent at Jotmans Farm in Benfleet, Essex, the village where I grew
up. At that time it used to be a dairy farm, and the milk was sold to Howard’s Dairy but, over the years, it’s been turned into stables where horses are kept at livery. There’s a footpath that runs between the farm and the railway line all the way to St Margaret’s Church, Bowers Gifford. Nanny would often take us blackberry picking there, but we never returned with many berries!
During the week, my friend Susan and I would walk to Jotmans farm to help the farmers with the cows. Discovering how a farm worked, helping the cowman, and walks to the church with nanny, led to many adventures and a lifetime of enjoying country life.
When things were going well, the exhilarating sense of team and fun working together, even if farming itself never seemed to be ‘in my blood’ as it was for everyone else, was infectious!
Collaborating in a common purpose, and working alongside each other with a strong desire to see
others flourish, brought me so much joy, as it still does. There is a danger, though, that sometimes we end up serving through a sense of duty (what we should and ought to be doing) especially when we’re run down or exhausted, rather than as a response to the overflow of God’s generous gift of love first given to us. I guess we’re all human!
I know I’ve said this before, but I’m always amazed and thankful to so many in our congregations and
wider community who go far beyond giving of themselves in order to bring ‘salt and light’ to others.
But what gives me the greatest hope, as I continue serving alongside you lovely people in Wayland Benefice, is remembering that it’s not actually about us, in the end, is it? it’s more about letting God have His way and praying that ‘His will be done on earth’.
With love and many blessings
Vanessa.
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Why is St Martin's so important?
It has a rare 5 cant scissor-braced nave roof which we have recently restored.
It is a unique and largely unmodernised gem of historic importance; a Grade 1 listed mediaeval building, said to be the finest example of the Decorated style in East Anglia.
It has many unusual medieval and Jacobean features which need to be preserved.
The problem
for this unique building...
The roof structure is a rare example from the first half of the 14th century of a scissor braced roof and consists of 40 pairs of rafters. Sadly the rafter ends had rotted away and only thin clay lump walls prevented the roof from spreading. Luckily we caught the problem just in time and have repaired each of the 80 rafter ends using traditional techniques and new materials to match existing. The work was far more extensive than originally envisaged and although we had a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund we also managed to secure extra funding from many generous donors.
Your donations will:
• Help to re-focus religious and community activities in the church and its immediate surrounds.
• Enhance community cohesion and outreach (local, national and international).
• Using the church as backdrop, enable the PCC to deliver hands on experience to visitors of archaeology, history, heritage, education
and enactment.
• Secure the mediaeval fabric and associated artwork.
• Protect the environment, ecology and wildlife.
There is a lot to do, enable and deliver.
PLEASE BE GENEROUS
How you can donate
Just Giving Page
Revitalising St Martin’s Church, Thompson, Norfolk
Cash or cheque
Cheques and cash can be sent/delivered to:
The Treasurer, College Farm, College Farm Lane, Thompson, Thetford IP24 1QG
Online banking transfer (BACS)
Bank account name: Revi St Martin’s
Sort Code: 20 28 20
Account Number: 9391.4356
Latest News
A Mediaeval response to the aftermath of a time of crisis in Thompson
A Mediaeval response to the aftermath of a time of crisis in ThompsonInstead of dwelling on the only previous time in our history to compare with the current Covid-19 crisis, I am focussing on the measures taken in the aftermath. But first a little background.The Black Death, as it is usually known, was Bubonic Plague.…
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Second Sunday of Easter
NoticesWelcome to the Second Sunday of Easter – today we should have been at Great Hockham Church and so our prayers are with the congregation there. Thank you so much for your Easter messages and thoughts and our prayers are with you. Hopefully soon we will be able to resume church services. Also I would…
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Easter Day
Jesus is Risen Alleluia!This is the first year since my confirmation at the age 11 that I have not taken communion at Easter in church, but thankfully we can have a service at home. Along with thousands of people in our country we are in ‘lock-down’ for the sake of the NHS and its staff…
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Holy Week
HOLY WEEK – A MESSAGE FROM REV ADRIAN BELLDuring Holy Week I have created 5 short homilies and a reading for you to use as well as including the ancient Office of Compline used in monasteries and religious houses and we would have used it at Great Hockham.Please keep safe, and please remember that we…
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Palm Sunday
In 1980, my mother-in-law, who was German, took us to see the Oberammergau Passion play in Germany and we had an amazing time. With my wife’s mother fluent in German we had a gastronomic and historical tour of Bavaria and ended up seeing this wonderful play. In Oberammergau we stayed overnight with a Bavarian family…
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Passion Sunday
Certainly we have had an extraordinary week and my thoughts and prayers are with you all. Having worked in my early days in the priesthood in Sheffield in some very deprived areas, my heart goes out to those who are isolated in blocks of flats or in poor conditions. I don’t know what I would…
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Mothering Sunday
I am sorry that we can’t have our Mothering Sunday Service at Stow Bedon Church but there will be another year. Last time we had over 50 people at the service and Stow Church always looks so beautiful for the occasion. I can remember as a child hunting through the shops to buy a Mothering…
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Coronavirus Update From the Bishop of Norwich
COVID-19 The Church continues to be alive and active but our buildings must close We are seeing a huge increase in the number of people falling sick with COVID-19. We must distance ourselves from one another and prevent the spread of infection in order to save lives. Therefore, as well as public worship…
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Corona Virus
We have received the following from the Diocese: “In light of the Government guidance around non-essential contact, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice. Churches should be open where possible but with no public worship services taking place. Prayers can be said by clergy and ministers on behalf of everyone and churches should consider ways of…
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Second Hand Book Sale
We had the first of our Second Hand Book Sales for 2020 on Saturday 7th March. As always, there was a good turn out with people coming from far and wide looking for lots of book bargains and delicious homemade scones & cakes.
Read MoreHistory timeline
Contact us
If you would like more information about the renovations or would like to discus making a donation then please write to The Treasurer St Martin's Church, c/o College Farm, Thompson, Thetford IP24 1QG, get in touch by phone on 01953 483.318 or fill in the form below.