About Us

The church of St Andrew at Brettenham is a beautiful small church along a country lane, with lovely views from the churchyard across meadows towards the grounds of Shadwell Court. Whilst most of the medieval building was badly damaged in a fire of 1693, with the nave rebuilt twenty years later, the church we see today is the result of a remarkable restoration in 1852 by the celebrated architect S. S. Teulon, who had been commissioned to build the aforementioned Shadwell Court in extravagant Gothic Revival. His work at the church is in a more restrained Decorated style and Teulon retained the 14th-century tower and a fine Norman doorway in his plans.

Notwithstanding the relatively recent works in the history of this church, the building had been closed for some recent years to undergo a significant programme of restoration, primarily in the time, energies and faithful perseverance of a very small community and, in particular, those of the Churchwarden and Secretary whose dedication has been remarkable. As a result of that restoration work, the church was reopened and rededicated by the Lord Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James, on Sunday 6 August 2017 (appropriately, the Feast of the Transfiguration) and once again welcomes worshippers and visitors alike.