Ancient wood used by monks centuries ago lives on in cross given to Bishop Graham

Aubrey Forster has carved hundreds of crosses from ancient church wood.

This month he gave the Bishop of Norwich, who is also Abbot of St Benet’s, near Ludham, a cross made from wood once used by the monks of the ruined abbey.

For the past 30 years he has given every Bishop of Norwich one of the small oak crosses – created from wood which was originally part of the abbey’s misericords (‘mercy’ ledges on the underside of hinged wooden church seats, for worshippers to lean on during long periods of standing.)

When St Benet’s Abbey fell into ruin almost 500 years ago, the misericords were re-used in nearby St Helen’s Church, Ranworth. Eventually they needed restoration and some wood had to be removed. Years later Aubrey discovered it was still in a workshop loft.

“Knowing the Bishop of Norwich of the time was going to visit Ranworth Church I asked if I could have a length cut from the end of the timber to make a cross for him,” said Aubrey. “Since then I have made a cross for all our bishops.”

Aubrey, who is now 81, has loved woodworking since childhood. He has also been a keen bell-ringer for more than 50 years and took on a voluntary role caring for bells across the diocese. “I looked after our bell restoration in Norfolk for 30 years,” he said. He inspected bells and ringing mechanisms and advised on any work needed – which he would often undertake with a team of fellow volunteers.

He restored damaged wooden bell wheels, and created new ones, for churches across Norfolk and Waveney.

When the 15^th century bell frame at Gimingham church, near North Walsham, had to be replaced, Aubrey made 100 crosses from the wood to raise money for the restoration project.

He restored damaged wooden bell wheels, and created new ones, for churches across Norfolk and Waveney, often creating crosses for the churches to sell, from the pieces of medieval wood which had to be removed.

Aubrey and his wife, Jenny, of Blofield, are part of the bellringing team at their parish church and Aubrey has made many wooden pieces for the church, including its gates, a cabinet for its book of remembrance, bookcases and a portable font. He also made a bishop’s chair for Tunstead church.

When the Bishop of Norwich took a service at Blofield recently, Aubrey gave him a cross made from St Benet’s Abbey oak. It is perfectly sized to hold in the palm of a hand.

“I was very touched,” said Bishop Graham, now the fifth Bishop of Norwich and Abbot of St Benet’s to receive one of Aubrey’s crosses made from the misericords of the once-magnificent abbey. It was the only monastery in the country not closed by Henry VIII and ever since every Bishop of Norwich has also been Abbot of St Benet’s.