A Passion for Churches
Encyclopedia
A Passion for Churches is a 1974 BBC television documentary written and presented by the then Poet Laureate
Sir John Betjeman
and produced and directed by Edward Mirzoeff
. Commissioned as a follow-up to the critically acclaimed 1973 documentary Metro-land
, the film offers Betjeman's personal poetic record of the goings-on taking place throughout the Anglican Diocese of Norwich
and its churches in the run-up to Easter Sunday using the framing device of the Holy sacraments.
Created with the approval of the Bishop of Norwich, Maurice Wood, the 49-minute film was shot on location in Norfolk and parts of Suffolk throughout the spring of 1974 on 16 mm colour film
by cameraman John McGlashan. For the film, John Betjeman wrote an original poetic commentary consisting of blank verse
, free verse
, and prose
and he appeared on-screen in several segments to describe features of ecclesiastical buildings and to reminisce about his lifelong "passion for churches".
The programme was praised by critics upon its original BBC 2 screening in December 1974 and gained high audience appreciation figures. It has since been repeated on BBC Four in 2006. It was released on a limited-edition DVD in 2007.
was the other major influence on Betjeman's poetry. His proposal to the poet was for a study of the Church of England to be titled Failed in Divinity, a line derived from Betjeman's poetic autobiography Summoned by Bells
, in which the poet relates how was sent down from the University of Oxford
after failing a compulsory examination on divinity
. In Mirzoeff's first treatment
, Betjeman would have embarked on a journey around Britain studying fine cathedrals, churches and their congregations. Betjeman ruled against the title, but liked the idea, although he was keen that the film should be primarily about the Church and its people, and not himself.
Following this early proposal, Mirzoeff and Betjeman realised that a study of the whole Church would be too ambitious, and instead decided to set the film within one diocese
. Betjeman initially suggested the Diocese of Southwark
, owing to a friendship with the then-Bishop of Southwark, Mervyn Stockwood
. Mirzoeff was not keen, given that Southwark was primarily an urban diocese. A disastrous meeting with the bishop (who was "high-handed, arrogant and very, very rude") led to that idea being scrapped.
Film editor Ted Roberts suggested the Diocese of Norwich, as Norfolk
is noted for the density of its medieval churches in a variety of urban, coastal and rural locations. In addition, Betjeman was close friends with Lady Wilhelmina "Billa" Harrod
(to whom he had once been engaged), who resided at Letheringsett Hall in the county. She was greatly involved with saving redundant church
es and was personal friends with the Bishop of Norwich
, Maurice Wood
, and was also able to provide the crew with accommodation. Early location-scouting proved fruitful, and the production was bolstered by a meeting with Bishop Wood in March 1974, during which the bishop gave the production his blessing. Filming began in April 1974.
, of which the early installments were entirely filmed in Norfolk (Betjeman was a fan of Jamesian ghost stories, and often read them to the crew while travelling to locations). McGlashan was also a part-time priest for a Liberal Catholic church, and was able to bring to the production additional knowledge of the Sacraments.
After deciding against the original "Failed in Divinity" preface, it was decided to open the film with Betjeman remembering a Norfolk rowing holiday from his youth in which his father pointed out the tower of St Peter's church in Belaugh
. This moment, he said, led to his life-long "passion for churches", a phrase that would eventually form the title of the film. The crew decided to film Betjeman revising this location on the River Bure
, although on several occasions the poet nearly capsized his rowing boat.
The production work was exhaustive, involving the filming of numerous churches in Norfolk, both ancient and more modern. Many of the clergymen featured in the programme were discovered by accident or by word-of-mouth. For example, the production researcher managed to find, on request, a vicar who had an extensive model railway in his rectory, another whose ministry was based on water (the Chaplain of the Broads) and a vicar whose congregation at the time numbered zero.
Several of the services featured in the film were one-off events. For example, the wedding was shot at Lyng
, where the bride's father was the rector. The bridegroom, Nigel McCulloch, went on to become the Bishop of Manchester
. The production encountered difficulties with obtaining some footage; while filming a Seaman's Mission from Great Yarmouth
, a wave flooded the boat, ruining the sound-recording equipment, and a sequence featuring an open-air service taking place at daybreak on Easter Sunday at the most easterly point of the UK — at Ness Point
, Lowestoft
— was nearly missed after the sound recordist overslept.
, free verse
, and prose
. Although Betjeman had accompanied the production on most of its shoots, his poetic commentary was only written in the weeks after the film had already been edited by Roberts. According to Mirzoeff, he would run sequences from the film for hours, searching for inspiration in the rhythm of the editing, sometimes sitting in a small cupboard to help himself concentrate. Mirzoeff notes that he found writing the text for A Passion for Churches more of a strain than for his previous film since he had to take into consideration both his own beliefs and those of his friends. Sometimes members of the crew would help him by writing their own verses for him to use or modify. One particular sequence proved so difficult to write that Betjeman flew into a rage after the director pressured him to hurry the composition along. Mirzoeff suggests that several sequences, such as the scene about redundancy and death, provoked verse of much greater "complexity and depth" than any heard in his previous screen appearances.
The film is roughly based on themes suggested by the Anglican sacraments
. It opens with Betjeman's recollection of how a boating holiday by Belaugh
in Norfolk inspired his "Passion for Churches". After a montage of church architecture with the musical accompaniment of the barrel organ
of Bressingham
, the focus shifts to Cley next the Sea
, where Betjeman introduces the viewer to its features. The scene then switches to a baptism in Trunch
and later a children's service
in Mattishall
. Also seen are the restoration of the medieval screen at Ranworth
and examples of surviving Norwich glass
. Betjeman then journeys to Norwich, which has more surviving medieval churches than London, Bristol and York combined. At Norwich Cathedral
, the centre of the diocese, he attends a Mothers' Union
meeting with the Bishop, and later the institution of a new rector to the living
of Holt
. Betjeman tells the viewer about the Elizabethan vicarage of Great Snoring
. Later seen are a vicar busily writing his newsletter at Weston Longville
, a parish meeting at Letheringsett
and a fête at South Raynham. Betjeman presents the three-storey pulpit
of St Mary's Bylaugh
and the brass-rubbing at Felbrigg
. A wedding takes place in Lyng
and in the tower, change ringers
explain their addiction to bell-ringing.
Betjeman explores the ruins of St Benet's Abbey before seeing its modern equivalent at a convent of Anglican nuns at the Community of All Hallows
, Ditchingham
. Betjeman then takes the North Norfolk Railway
to Walsingham
to see the Anglican pilgrims going to the church of Our Lady of Walsingham
. After a look at the Queen's church in Sandringham
and the unusual Victorian church
at Booton
, choir practices are seen in progress at Martham
and Wymondham Abbey
. Exulting the work of Sir Ninian Comper
at Lound, Suffolk
, Betjeman recalls that he looked like Colonel Sanders
. As Easter Day approaches, Betjeman reflects on the furthest reaches of the diocese - water-borne ministries, a parish church in Flordon
that no one attends, as well as the fate of those churches declared redundant; conversion into hospitals, an artists' studio, a shoe store and dereliction. Easter Day breaks in Lowestoft, and the viewer sees traditionally dressed ladies from the Almshouse
s in Castle Rising
. The film concludes back in Norwich as parishioners of St Peter Mancroft
, and parishioners from dioceses all around the county summoned by bells, walk to worship.
's wife, Mary, at a private showing held in November 1974, and he gave the film his approval.
Critical reception to the film was generally positive: the Times Literary Supplement named it "Sir John's masterpiece to date" and the Financial Times
described it as "extremely good". Television playwright Dennis Potter
was also highly complimentary, writing a short poem in tribute, although the Eastern Daily Press
felt that the film was too short and lacking in detail. Audience response was recorded as "exceptionally enthusiastic" and Betjeman himself was pleased with the result, although of his films he still favoured Metro-land.
A Passion for Churches was revived by BBC Four in 2006 to mark the centenary of the poet's birth. It was subsequently released on a limited-edition DVD in 2007 with notes by the editor and two additional short films by the poet.
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
Sir John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
and produced and directed by Edward Mirzoeff
Edward Mirzoeff
Edward Mirzoeff CVO, CBE is a prominent British television producer and documentary filmmaker.-Early life:He went to Hasmonean Grammar School in Hendon...
. Commissioned as a follow-up to the critically acclaimed 1973 documentary Metro-land
Metro-land (TV)
Metro-land is a BBC documentary film written and narrated by the then Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. It was directed by Edward Mirzoeff and first broadcast in colour on February 26, 1973...
, the film offers Betjeman's personal poetic record of the goings-on taking place throughout the Anglican Diocese of Norwich
Diocese of Norwich
Diocese of Norwich can refer to*the English Anglican Diocese of Norwich, England*the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, USA...
and its churches in the run-up to Easter Sunday using the framing device of the Holy sacraments.
Created with the approval of the Bishop of Norwich, Maurice Wood, the 49-minute film was shot on location in Norfolk and parts of Suffolk throughout the spring of 1974 on 16 mm colour film
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
by cameraman John McGlashan. For the film, John Betjeman wrote an original poetic commentary consisting of blank verse
Blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the sixteenth century" and Paul Fussell has claimed that "about three-quarters of all English poetry is in blank verse."The first...
, free verse
Free verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
, and prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
and he appeared on-screen in several segments to describe features of ecclesiastical buildings and to reminisce about his lifelong "passion for churches".
The programme was praised by critics upon its original BBC 2 screening in December 1974 and gained high audience appreciation figures. It has since been repeated on BBC Four in 2006. It was released on a limited-edition DVD in 2007.
Background
Following the success of the 1973 film Metro-land, which documented life in suburban London, Edward Mirzoeff was commissioned to create a new documentary with John Betjeman. Mirzoeff noticed that aside from suburban themes, the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
was the other major influence on Betjeman's poetry. His proposal to the poet was for a study of the Church of England to be titled Failed in Divinity, a line derived from Betjeman's poetic autobiography Summoned by Bells
Summoned by Bells
Summoned by Bells, the blank verse autobiography by John Betjeman, describes his life from his early memories of a middle class home in Edwardian Hampstead, London, to his premature departure from Magdalen College, Oxford....
, in which the poet relates how was sent down from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
after failing a compulsory examination on divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
. In Mirzoeff's first treatment
Film treatment
A film treatment is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play. It is generally longer and more detailed than an outline , and it may include details of directorial style that an outline omits...
, Betjeman would have embarked on a journey around Britain studying fine cathedrals, churches and their congregations. Betjeman ruled against the title, but liked the idea, although he was keen that the film should be primarily about the Church and its people, and not himself.
Following this early proposal, Mirzoeff and Betjeman realised that a study of the whole Church would be too ambitious, and instead decided to set the film within one diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. Betjeman initially suggested the Diocese of Southwark
Anglican Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 44 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was formed on May 1, 1905 from part of the Diocese of Rochester...
, owing to a friendship with the then-Bishop of Southwark, Mervyn Stockwood
Mervyn Stockwood
Arthur Mervyn Stockwood was Anglican Bishop of Southwark from 1959 to 1980.Mervyn Stockwood was born in Bridgend, Wales, to a middle-class family. His solicitor father was killed during the First World War. He was introduced to Anglo-Catholic worship at All Saints' Church, Clifton, which...
. Mirzoeff was not keen, given that Southwark was primarily an urban diocese. A disastrous meeting with the bishop (who was "high-handed, arrogant and very, very rude") led to that idea being scrapped.
Film editor Ted Roberts suggested the Diocese of Norwich, as Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
is noted for the density of its medieval churches in a variety of urban, coastal and rural locations. In addition, Betjeman was close friends with Lady Wilhelmina "Billa" Harrod
Roy Harrod
Sir Henry Roy Forbes Harrod was an English economist. He is best known for his biography of John Maynard Keynes and the development of the Harrod–Domar model, which he and Evsey Domar developed independently...
(to whom he had once been engaged), who resided at Letheringsett Hall in the county. She was greatly involved with saving redundant church
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
es and was personal friends with the Bishop of Norwich
Bishop of Norwich
The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided...
, Maurice Wood
Maurice Wood
Maurice Arthur Ponsonby Wood DSC was an Anglican bishop in the Evangelical tradition. He was a Royal Navy commando chaplain in World War II and later the Bishop of Norwich.-Early life and education:...
, and was also able to provide the crew with accommodation. Early location-scouting proved fruitful, and the production was bolstered by a meeting with Bishop Wood in March 1974, during which the bishop gave the production his blessing. Filming began in April 1974.
Filming
The documentary was shot on 16 mm colour film by cameraman John McGlashan, who had also worked on the BBC's M.R. James series of adaptations A Ghost Story for ChristmasA Ghost Story for Christmas
A Ghost Story for Christmas is a strand of annual British short television films originally broadcast on BBC One from 1971 to 1978, and later revived in 2005 on BBC Four. With one exception, the original instalments are directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and the films are all shot on 16 mm...
, of which the early installments were entirely filmed in Norfolk (Betjeman was a fan of Jamesian ghost stories, and often read them to the crew while travelling to locations). McGlashan was also a part-time priest for a Liberal Catholic church, and was able to bring to the production additional knowledge of the Sacraments.
After deciding against the original "Failed in Divinity" preface, it was decided to open the film with Betjeman remembering a Norfolk rowing holiday from his youth in which his father pointed out the tower of St Peter's church in Belaugh
Belaugh
Belaugh is a small village that occupies a bend in the River Bure in Norfolk, England - within The Broads National Park. It is accessible via the road between Hoveton and Coltishall or from the river. It contains no pubs, bars or shops...
. This moment, he said, led to his life-long "passion for churches", a phrase that would eventually form the title of the film. The crew decided to film Betjeman revising this location on the River Bure
River Bure
The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in The Broads. The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head of navigation. Nowadays, the head of navigation is downstream at Coltishall Bridge...
, although on several occasions the poet nearly capsized his rowing boat.
The production work was exhaustive, involving the filming of numerous churches in Norfolk, both ancient and more modern. Many of the clergymen featured in the programme were discovered by accident or by word-of-mouth. For example, the production researcher managed to find, on request, a vicar who had an extensive model railway in his rectory, another whose ministry was based on water (the Chaplain of the Broads) and a vicar whose congregation at the time numbered zero.
Several of the services featured in the film were one-off events. For example, the wedding was shot at Lyng
Lyng, Norfolk
Lyng is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north-east of the town of East Dereham and north-west of the city of Norwich....
, where the bride's father was the rector. The bridegroom, Nigel McCulloch, went on to become the Bishop of Manchester
Bishop of Manchester
The Bishop of Manchester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.The current bishop is the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, the 11th Lord Bishop of Manchester, who signs Nigel Manchester. The bishop's official residence is Bishopscourt, Bury New Road,...
. The production encountered difficulties with obtaining some footage; while filming a Seaman's Mission from Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
, a wave flooded the boat, ruining the sound-recording equipment, and a sequence featuring an open-air service taking place at daybreak on Easter Sunday at the most easterly point of the UK — at Ness Point
Ness Point
Ness Point, also known as Lowestoft Ness, is the most easterly point of both the United Kingdom and the British Isles, located in the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of Suffolk in England...
, Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
— was nearly missed after the sound recordist overslept.
Poetry
The commentary alternates between blank verseBlank verse
Blank verse is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the sixteenth century" and Paul Fussell has claimed that "about three-quarters of all English poetry is in blank verse."The first...
, free verse
Free verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
, and prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
. Although Betjeman had accompanied the production on most of its shoots, his poetic commentary was only written in the weeks after the film had already been edited by Roberts. According to Mirzoeff, he would run sequences from the film for hours, searching for inspiration in the rhythm of the editing, sometimes sitting in a small cupboard to help himself concentrate. Mirzoeff notes that he found writing the text for A Passion for Churches more of a strain than for his previous film since he had to take into consideration both his own beliefs and those of his friends. Sometimes members of the crew would help him by writing their own verses for him to use or modify. One particular sequence proved so difficult to write that Betjeman flew into a rage after the director pressured him to hurry the composition along. Mirzoeff suggests that several sequences, such as the scene about redundancy and death, provoked verse of much greater "complexity and depth" than any heard in his previous screen appearances.
Synopsis
Anglican sacraments
In keeping with its prevailing self-identity as a via media or "middle path" of Western Christianity, Anglican sacramental theology expresses elements in keeping with its status as a church in the Catholic tradition and a church of the Reformation...
. It opens with Betjeman's recollection of how a boating holiday by Belaugh
Belaugh
Belaugh is a small village that occupies a bend in the River Bure in Norfolk, England - within The Broads National Park. It is accessible via the road between Hoveton and Coltishall or from the river. It contains no pubs, bars or shops...
in Norfolk inspired his "Passion for Churches". After a montage of church architecture with the musical accompaniment of the barrel organ
Barrel organ
A barrel organ is a mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated...
of Bressingham
Bressingham
Bressingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 751 in 305 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of South Norfolk....
, the focus shifts to Cley next the Sea
Cley next the Sea
Cley next the Sea is a village on the River Glaven in Norfolk, England, 4 miles north-west of Holt and east of Blakeney. The main A149 coast road runs through the centre of the village, causing congestion in the summer months due to the tight, narrow streets. It lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB...
, where Betjeman introduces the viewer to its features. The scene then switches to a baptism in Trunch
Trunch
Trunch is a village and parish in Norfolk, England, situated three miles north of North Walsham and two miles from the coast at Mundesley. At the Census 2001 the village had a population of 805, and 388 households. The parish covers an area of ....
and later a children's service
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
in Mattishall
Mattishall
Mattishall is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated in the heart of Norfolk 13 miles from the centre of Norwich and four miles from Dereham, at the geographical centre of Norfolk....
. Also seen are the restoration of the medieval screen at Ranworth
Ranworth
Ranworth is a village in Norfolk, England in The Broads, adjacent to Malthouse Broad and Ranworth Broad.-Church of St Helen:The 14th century St. Helen's church has a fine 15th century painted rood screen and a rare Antiphoner. It is a Grade I listed building From the top of Ranworth church's 100...
and examples of surviving Norwich glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
. Betjeman then journeys to Norwich, which has more surviving medieval churches than London, Bristol and York combined. At Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral is a cathedral located in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Formerly a Catholic church, it has belonged to the Church of England since the English Reformation....
, the centre of the diocese, he attends a Mothers' Union
Mothers' Union
Mothers’ Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families worldwide. Its members are not all mothers or even all women, as there are many parents, men, widows, singles and grandparents involved in its work...
meeting with the Bishop, and later the institution of a new rector to the living
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
. Betjeman tells the viewer about the Elizabethan vicarage of Great Snoring
Great Snoring
Great Snoring is a rural village in North Norfolk by the River Stiffkey, in the east of England. Its population in the 2001 census was 168, a dramatic decrease since 1841 when it was 556 .At the centre of the village is the 13th century St. Mary's Church and the Old Rectory...
. Later seen are a vicar busily writing his newsletter at Weston Longville
Weston Longville
Weston Longville is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, approximately north-west of Norwich. Its name is derived from the Manor of Longaville in Normandy, France, which owned the local land in the 12th century....
, a parish meeting at Letheringsett
Letheringsett
Letheringsett is a village in the English county of Norfolk. It forms part of the civil parish of Letheringsett with Glanford, along with the hamlet of Glandford. The village straddles the A148 King’s Lynn to Cromer road. Letheringsett is 1.2 miles west of Holt, 32.2 west north east of King’s Lynn...
and a fête at South Raynham. Betjeman presents the three-storey pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
of St Mary's Bylaugh
Bylaugh
Bylaugh is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England, about 6 miles north-east of East Dereham. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 65.-Buildings:...
and the brass-rubbing at Felbrigg
Felbrigg
Felbrigg is a small village just south of Cromer in Norfolk, England. The Danish name means a 'plank bridge'.Historians believe that the original village was clustered around its Perpendicular church, in the grounds of Felbrigg Hall, a Jacobean mansion built in the early 17th century, a mile to the...
. A wedding takes place in Lyng
Lyng, Norfolk
Lyng is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north-east of the town of East Dereham and north-west of the city of Norwich....
and in the tower, change ringers
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
explain their addiction to bell-ringing.
Betjeman explores the ruins of St Benet's Abbey before seeing its modern equivalent at a convent of Anglican nuns at the Community of All Hallows
Community of All Hallows
The Community of All Hallows is an Anglican religious order based in Ditchingham, near Bungay, Suffolk, under the jurisdiction of the Church of England. The religious Sisters lead an active life of prayer and service, providing hospitality and spiritual direction in two retreat houses...
, Ditchingham
Ditchingham
Ditchingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located across the River Waveney from Bungay, Suffolk near to The Broads National Park.- Overview :...
. Betjeman then takes the North Norfolk Railway
North Norfolk Railway
The North Norfolk Railway – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal town of Sheringham and Holt, It cuts through the countryside to the east of Weybourne with views of its windmill and passes through the well preserved country...
to Walsingham
Walsingham
Walsingham is a village in the English county of Norfolk. The village is famed for its religious shrines in honour of the Virgin Mary and as a major pilgrimage centre...
to see the Anglican pilgrims going to the church of Our Lady of Walsingham
Our Lady of Walsingham
Our Lady of Walsingham is a title used for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The title derives from the belief that Mary appeared in a vision to Richeldis de Faverches, a devout Saxon noblewoman, in 1061 in the village of Walsingham in Norfolk, England...
. After a look at the Queen's church in Sandringham
Sandringham, Norfolk
Sandringham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of the village of Dersingham, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
and the unusual Victorian church
St Michael the Archangel's Church, Booton
St Michael the Archangel's Church, Booton, is a redundant Anglican church near the village of Booton, Norfolk, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. The church stands in an isolated...
at Booton
Booton, Norfolk
Booton is a village and civil parish in the Broadland district of Norfolk, England, just east of Reepham and seven miles west of Aylsham. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 100.- Notable residents :...
, choir practices are seen in progress at Martham
Martham
Martham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk and within the Broads National Park. It is situated some north-west of the town of Great Yarmouth and north-east of the city of Norwich....
and Wymondham Abbey
Wymondham Abbey
Wymondham Abbey is situated in the town of Wymondham in Norfolk, England.-Background:It is the Anglican parish church of Wymondham, but it started life as a Benedictine priory....
. Exulting the work of Sir Ninian Comper
Ninian Comper
Sir John Ninian Comper was a Scottish-born architect. He was one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects, noted for his churches and their furnishings...
at Lound, Suffolk
Lound, Suffolk
Lound is a village in Suffolk, located a few miles to the north of Lowestoft. The village lies just off the main A12 dual carriageway between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft....
, Betjeman recalls that he looked like Colonel Sanders
Colonel Sanders
Harland David "Colonel" Sanders was an American fast food businessman who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain, now re-branded as KFC...
. As Easter Day approaches, Betjeman reflects on the furthest reaches of the diocese - water-borne ministries, a parish church in Flordon
Flordon
-Parish data:It covers an area of and had a population of 263 in 110 households as of the 2001 census. This is not an especially significant increase from the 1881 census at which time 178 people were living there.-Village data:...
that no one attends, as well as the fate of those churches declared redundant; conversion into hospitals, an artists' studio, a shoe store and dereliction. Easter Day breaks in Lowestoft, and the viewer sees traditionally dressed ladies from the Almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s in Castle Rising
Castle Rising
Castle Rising is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is best known as the location of Castle Rising Castle, which dominates the village...
. The film concludes back in Norwich as parishioners of St Peter Mancroft
St Peter Mancroft
St Peter Mancroft is a parish church in the Church of England, in the centre of Norwich, Norfolk. It is the largest church in Norwich and was built between 1430 and 1455. It stands on a slightly elevated position, next to the market place...
, and parishioners from dioceses all around the county summoned by bells, walk to worship.
Reception and release
Mirzoeff recalls that A Passion for Churches created a minor internal disagreement at the BBC since the film, produced by the General Features Department, discussed a subject considered to be the territory of the Religious Broadcasting Department. The head of the department insisted on a screening, but was placated by the presence of the poet and Harold WilsonHarold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
's wife, Mary, at a private showing held in November 1974, and he gave the film his approval.
Critical reception to the film was generally positive: the Times Literary Supplement named it "Sir John's masterpiece to date" and the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
described it as "extremely good". Television playwright Dennis Potter
Dennis Potter
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
was also highly complimentary, writing a short poem in tribute, although the Eastern Daily Press
Eastern Daily Press
The Eastern Daily Press, commonly referred to as the EDP, is a regional newspaper covering Norfolk, and northern parts of Suffolk and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is published daily in Norwich, UK....
felt that the film was too short and lacking in detail. Audience response was recorded as "exceptionally enthusiastic" and Betjeman himself was pleased with the result, although of his films he still favoured Metro-land.
A Passion for Churches was revived by BBC Four in 2006 to mark the centenary of the poet's birth. It was subsequently released on a limited-edition DVD in 2007 with notes by the editor and two additional short films by the poet.