Round-tower church
Round-tower churches are a type of
church found mainly in
England, almost solely in
East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in
Norfolk, 38 in
Suffolk, 6 in
Essex, 3 in
Sussex and 2 each in
Cambridgeshire and
Berkshire. There is evidence of about twenty round-tower churches in
Germany, of similar design and construction to those in East Anglia. Countries with at least one round-tower church include
Andorra, the
Czech Republic,
France,
Italy,
Sweden,
Norway,
Poland. and
South Africa.
The distinctive feature of these churches is, of course, their round towers. The reason for their construction – mostly by the
Saxons – is a matter of dispute. Suggested explanations include the following:
*Round-tower churches are found in areas lacking normal building stone, and are therefore built of knapped
flint. Corners are difficult to construct in flint, hence the thick, round walls of the towers.
*The churches are found in areas subject to raids from, for example, the
Vikings, and were built as defensive structures, churches being added later. In fact, however, the towers are generally too short to have been of much use defensively, and the towers were often added to existing churches, gaving flat walls where they joined the main structure.
*In
937 King
Athelstan (924–939), the first King of all England, decrees that a
bell tower be built on the land of every
thane; an existing trend of building bell towers on to existing churches was thus accelerated.
Many other (less likely) explanations are offered in communities containing the churches, including appeals to ancient stone circles and the remains of wells.
Round-tower churches should not be confused with similarly shaped structures such as the
Celtic
round towers found in
Ireland and
Scotland.
*
Round Tower Churches Society*
Focus on Round Tower — by John Worrall
*W. J. Goode,
Round Tower Churches of South East England (Round Tower Churches Society)
*
Round tower churches "fan site" in English and German
