Why Do So Many Old Churches In East Anglia Have Round Towers?

For a long time it was thought that these were an innovation of the Normans, post the 1066 invasion. However, a survey in 1086 showed almost 600 churches in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk; far too many for the Normans to have built most of the 172 East Anglia churches that have round towers (hardly more than a dozen churches with round towers are found in the rest of England).

The round tower may have resulted from the main local building material: flint. Flint is poor for making the corners of buidings; look closely and you will see that the corner walls of flint-faced churches are built of quarried stone. The towers don't have to bear so much load, just a staircase and a bell ringing area, so they could be built out of less expensive local flint.

If not because of the limitations of building with flint, the round towers may have suggested water to the local populace (with its life-giving properties) in what was otherwise part of the driest corner of Britain. Evoking the image of a pagan stone circle, or perhaps a start as a defensive structure against the Vikings are other suggested origins for this distinctive feature of East Anglian churches.

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