Blofield: Church, Herb Garden and Local History

Blofield brings together church architecture, a medicinal herb garden and an unusual courthouse. At the Church of St Andrew and St Peter, a four-storey tower and a font depicting scenes from the life of Christ come together; in the churchyard, a garden of medieval-inspired medicinal plants adds to the picture. Blofield Courthouse brings a different historical focus with its Baroque style and four holding cells. The Blofield heritage walk also offers a free audio guide. Here, ecclesiastical architecture, knowledge of plants and judicial history emerge as distinct themes of the place.

Church: Tower and Font

The Church of St Andrew and St Peter has a four-storey west tower dating from the 15th century. Its design includes a polygonal stair turret and diagonal buttresses. Polygonal means having several sides; the shape of the stair turret and the angled supports give the tower its distinctive lines. The tower is in the Perpendicular style and has eight bells. Its design and the number of bells provide specific details that help describe the church’s architecture.

Inside is an octagonal font dating from the 15th century. Its sides depict scenes from the life of Christ. The shape of the font and the religious imagery provide a different focus from the tower’s soaring lines. Information dated 1 July 2024 states that the church is open to visitors daily. Check current visiting hours before your visit.

Medicinal Herb Garden and Historical Interpretation

A medicinal herb garden that visitors can explore lies in the churchyard, against the south wall of the church. Its plantings reflect the medicinal plants of the Middle Ages. This gives your visit a botanical focus alongside the architecture: the garden puts the plants centre stage, rather than the tower or font.

A reference book in the church’s north aisle describes the historical uses of the herbs in the medicinal garden. The garden and the book thus offer two related but distinct perspectives: the planting brings the subject to life on site, while the book explores how the herbs were used in the past. Visitors interested in plant and cultural history will find their own way into the history of Blofield’s church here.

Blofield Courthouse

Blofield Courthouse was built in 1905 in the Baroque style. Blofield Court House has four holding cells, an unusual feature for a rural courthouse. The year it was built and its style place the building in its architectural context; the cells provide a specific detail that sets it apart from the church’s religious motifs. In this way, the courthouse adds its own perspective on local history to the themes of the tower, font and medicinal herb garden.

Explore Blofield and Plan Your Stay

The Blofield heritage walk offers a free audio guide narrated by Edward Paston. Parking for the Blofield heritage walk is indicated outside the Church of St Andrew and St Peter. Together with the garden and the reference book, the walk offers another way to explore Blofield’s historical themes, without limiting your visit to architecture or plants.

When choosing a holiday rental in Blofield, your interests can help guide your decision: architecture enthusiasts can focus on the tower and font, while the medicinal herb garden and reference book bring together plants and their historical uses. The audio guide offers a different perspective on the heritage walk. If you’re travelling with children, it can help to focus on one or two themes. This lets you tailor your visit to your shared interests, without giving every detail equal weight.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Roughton, West Somerton, Sedgeford, Easton, Tattersett, Spixworth, Lingwood, Great Snoring.

For the broader travel overview: Norfolk.