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All Saints’ Church, Shelfanger is described in Kelly’s 1916 Directory as a ‘building of flint and stone situated on a rise just over 2 miles north-west of Diss close by the Attleborough Road’.

All Saints’ is a homely church consisting of single aisle, nave, chancel, rectangular tower and northern porch and it stands in nearly two acres of wooded churchyard, carefully maintained both for access, birds and wildlife.

Its items of architectural note are a late 13th Century wall painting of the Adoration of the Magi, an attractive timber-framed 16th Century porch and a ring of six bells ranging in date from 1782 to 1976.

The church has undergone a series of restorations during its lifetime, chiefly in 1876 and 1964. In 1876, box pews, a two-decker pulpit, thatched roof and south west door were all replaced. The door is now to be seen on the farmhouse opposite! It was during the 1964 restoration that the 13th Century wall painting was discovered and dated by style to similar work in Norwich Cathedral.

Up until the year 1360 there were two livings and two Rectors in the parish. In that year the livings were combined and the present building created, under the direction of warden Adam de Bosville, who presented the font to the church and whose initials adorn it.

As there were two livings we speculate there were once two places of worship. It is possible that the chancel of the present church formed part of one and that another was situated on the site now known as ‘Fiddlers Dykes’ in the north west corner of the village. During detailed research carried out by the Revd. William Harrison (Rector 1896- 1816), into connections between Shelfanger and Sibton Priory in Suffolk, the following fact was discovered. Both parishes shared a Norman landowner known as ‘Vis-de-Loup’ (‘Face of a Wolf’), thus corrupted to ‘Fiddler’ as in ‘Fiddlers Dykes’.

Nowadays, Shelfanger itself is a mainly agricultural village of some 370 souls. It has always had a strong community spirit centred around the church and village hall and is just far enough out of Diss to retain its village atmosphere. We hope you enjoy your visit.