East of England Norwich its cathedral and churches, Norfolk

Norwich claims to be the most complete medieval city in the United Kingdom, retaining cobbled streets, many splendid medieval buildings and over 30 flint churches.

The city has a long history. The Romans established a regional capital a few miles from the present city. The Anglo Saxons settled the area from the C5th establishing their capital complete with its own mint here, at the confluence of the rivers Wensum and Yare, in the areas now known as Tombland. The Danes arrived and settled in large numbers in the C9th.

At the Norman Conquest, Norwich was one of the largest towns in England. The Domesday Book states that it had approximately 25 churches and a population of between 5,000 and 10,000.

The Normans stamped their authority by clearing Saxon housing and building a Castle and Cathedral #3 here. By 1100 the wooden castle had been replaced by a stone keep. (Work was taking place on the castle and I couldn't manage to avoid the crane or palisade round the base...)

Construction of a Cathedral began close by.

A canal was dug from the River Wensum at Pull’s Ferry to bring limestone from Caen. The market place was moved to the Mancroft area.

Norwich grew to become the second wealthiest and important city after London, with many fine building including the flint guildhall.

City walls were built in 1297 with 12 defensive gates, enclosing an area greater than that of the then City of London. It was illegal to build outside the walls, so limiting expansion of the city.

In 1345, Edward III gave the castle to the city and it became the county gaol with regular hangings outside.

Norfolk was an important port, trading wool which financed many of the churches and Norwich still has more medieval churches than any other city in the UK. Markets stretched from Spain to Scandinavia. It also encouraged the settlement of persecuted minorities and the great ‘Stranger Immigration’ of 1567 brought many Flemish and Walloon weavers fleeing from Spanish persecution to Norwich. They rapidly integrated into the local community, building impressive merchant’s houses, like Strangers’ Hall.

They boosted trade with Europe, and also fostered the movement towards religious reform and radical politics in the city. They also brought pet canaries with them which they bred, and later became the mascot of Norwich City FC.

The city transformed rapidly in the Georgian and Victorian eras. A Cattle Market was established around the Norwich Castle Mound in the C17th. Banking and insurance industries grew. Increasing population growth led to massive slum clearance and the development of terraces of Victorian housing. The Royal Arcade was opened in 1899, a beautiful ornate covered shopping street, in the Art Nouveau style.

A thriving shoe industry was established as well as Colman’s Mustard.

The 1930s saw the building of the revolutionary Art Deco City Hall overlooking the marketplace and in 1963 the University of East Anglia (UEA) admitted its first students in the iconic Ziggurat accommodation block.

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts was designed in the 1970s by Norman Foster. It was his first commercial building and now has listed status.

In 2012, Norwich became England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, thanks to the city’s long literary history.

Now much of the industry has gone. The breweries and chocolate making, the shoe making and also Coleman’s Mustard.

Norwich is very much a busy regional centre with a large and thriving shopping area. It also claims to be one of the most complete medieval cities in England, retaining many of its medieval streets and houses.

It has over 30 large and splendid flint perpendicular churches with tall towers, although many are no redundant and serve secular purposes.

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[Eleanor]

Exploring Norwich on foot

The centre of Norwich is compact and can be explored easily on foot and is divided into different tourist areas.

The main shopping area is to the south of the town and is thriving with few closed shops or charity shops. All the big names are here along with many smaller dependent shops. There is a lot of money in Norwich.

It has one of the oldest and largest outdoor markets in the country in the square in front of the Guildhall and City Hall.

Near it is the Forum, a large modern building opened in 2001 with the library, Citizen’s Advice, BBC East and lots of open space and cafes.

Across from it is St Peter Mancroft Church, #8 the largest and finest of the medieval churches in Norwich.

The shopping area is a maze of streets, many without obvious name plates. It is always busy and it is easy to get lost. London Street was the first shopping street in the UK to be pedestrianised in 1967.

The Cosy Club, the impressive building at the junction of London Street and Bedford Street was the Nat West Bank.

The narrow cobbled Bedford Street is also pedestrianised.

Near by is Opie Street which retains many splendid buildings.

This is an area with a lot of medieval Churches. St Andrew’s Church, the second largest medieval parish church in Norwich, again built from knapped flint with carved stonework.

Just across the road are The Halls, comprising of St. Andrew’s Hall and Blackfriars’ Hall. Dating from the C14th this is one of the most complete medieval friary complexe to survive. During the Reformation the site was saved by the City Corporation, which bought it from the king for use as a 'common hall.' Today the two halls, crypt, chapel, and cloisters host conferences, fairs, weddings, and concerts.

St Michael at Plea closed in 1971 and came under the protection of the Norfolk Historic Churches Trust. It is now an ecumenical Christian resource centre and café.

Although St Peter Hungate was the most fashionable place to worship in Norfolk in the C19th, by the start of the C20th it was in very poor condition and under threat of being pulled down. It was declared redundant in 1936, and was the first church nationally to be repurposed, becoming a museum of Church Art. Again looked after by Norfolk Historic Churches Trust, it is now the base for Hungate Medieval Arts Charity.

St Jude and St Simon is on the site of a pre-Norman church. It was one of the first churches to be declared redundant in 1892 when it was in very poor condition. In the care of the Norfolk Historic Churches Trust, it is now the home of the Curious Directive Theatre through Lens of Science.

Elm Hill is one of the most complete medieval streets in the city and one of the oldest streets in Norwich. It takes its name from elm trees that once grew in the square at the top of the hill. After Dutch Elm disease, they were replaced by a plane tree.

It was home to prosperous merchants as the houses backed onto the River Wensum and had their own quays. A major fire destroyed the buildings in 1507. The Briton’s Arms at the top of the hill was the only building to survive the fire.

Elm Hill was rebuilt with a mix of fine Tudor buildings.

The area had become a slum by the end of the C19th and the Corporation wanted to demolish the area and build a swimming pool on the north side of the street. The Norwich Society carried out a detailed survey in 1927 which recommended sympathetic renovation of the more important buildings. Elm Hill is now possibly one of the most photographed streets in Norwich and is also popular as a filming venue. Being away from the main tourist focal points of Cathedral and Castle, it does tend to be a lot quieter and very much a yet to be discovered part of the city by tourists.

The Adam and Eve Pub on Bishopgate is claimed to be the oldest pub in the city with references going back to the mid C13th.

Bishopsgate swings round past the Cathedral and Cathedral Close and then the Castle back to the shopping area.

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[Eleanor]

Norwich Cathedral - Some background and visiting

Norwich Cathedral with its tall spire rivalling that of Salisbury, is one of the glories of Norwich. It is one of the most complete Norman cathedrals in England, and one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture. Although the monastic buildings were destroyed after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the cloisters survive and the Cathedral Close is one of the largest in England.

Peregrine falcons nest on the Cathedral spire and an observation post in the Close with a live web cam allows visitors a close view of these magnificent birds from April to June.

There has been a bishopric in East Anglia since the C7th, originally based at Dunwich. Later, the See was divided into two and a stone Cathedral built at North Elmham. During the Danish invasion of 870, the cathedral was burnt and the Bishop’s chair badly damaged.

After the Norman Conquest, it was a policy to move the See to important cities. The See first moved to Thetford in 1075 but by 1095 Norwich had overtaken Thetford in importance and the See was moved to Norwich. The newly built Cathedral and Castle were a sign of Norman dominance.

Bishop Herbert de Losinga began building a Benedictine Monastery and Cathedral church in 1096. A Saxon settlement and two churches were demolished to make room for the buildings and a canal was cut to allow access for the boats bringing stone and building materials which were unloaded at Pulls Ferry.

Work went so quickly, the monks were able to move in five years later. By his death in 1119 the presbytery with its chapels and ambulatory, transepts and the first four bays of the nave were complete. Bishop Herbert was buried in front of the high altar. His successor, Everard de Montgomery was responsible for completing the nave, west end and the roof by 1145, along with the cloisters and monastic buildings. He began the tower which was finished by his successor, William de Turbe about 1170. This would originally have had a timber spire.

The ground plan of the Cathedral remains very much that of a Norman Cathedral with a very long nave and choir and a rounded apse at the east end with an ambulatory around it. There were no relics of a major saint to bring in pilgrims with their revenue to remodel the Cathedral. A Lady Chapel was added to the east end in the C13th but was demolished in the reign of Elizabeth I.

The spire was struck by lightning in 1169 and set the building on fire. The Cathedral was badly damaged in the 1272 riots between the town and the monks. Henry III levied heavy fines on the city to pay for rebuilding the Cathedral. The cloisters had to be completely rebuilt. This took 150 years as work was slowed down by the Black Death and they display the change in architectural style during this period. The east walk was the first to be completed and and is early Decorated architecture. The north walk was the last to be finished in 1430 and is Perpendicular in style.

The spire blew down in 1362 causing considerable damage to the east end, destroying the presbytery roof and clerestory. This was rebuilt in the then modern Perpendicular style with large windows.

The spire was struck by lightning again in 1463 and fire raged through the nave, destroying the wood roof. The heat was so fierce it turned some of the stone pink. Bishop Walter Lehart was responsible for replacing the nave roof with stone lierne vaulting, with carved bosses at the intersections of the ribs. This explains the difference in colour of the walls and nave roof.

The stone screen between the nave and choir was added at the same time.

The great west window dates from the mid C15th and dwarfs the earlier Norman windows.

The stone vault in the presbytery was added at the end of the C15th by Bishop James Goldwell and flying buttresses were added outside to support its weight. He was also responsible for the stone spire, added in 1480. It is brick, faced with stone and is the second tallest spire in England, after Salisbury.

The transept roofs were destroyed by fire in 1509 and replaced by stone vaults by Bishop Richard Nykke. Since then there has been little fundamental alteration to the Cathedral apart from St Saviour’s Chapel built in 1930 on the site of the long demolished Lady Chapel at the east end.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries had little effect on the Cathedral, although the monastic buildings were destroyed and used for building stone. The last prior became the first dean and the monks became canons. There were plans to pull the Cathedral down during the Commonwealth as it was deemed as ‘no longer being needed’ and reuse the stone to rebuild Yarmouth harbour. Fortunately nothing happened and the building was restored when Charles II was restored to the throne.

There was a further sympathetic restoration in the C19th when new choir stalls and Bishop’s chair were added.

VISITING
The cathedral is open daily from 7.30am - 6pm. Entry is through the remains of a C12th archway into the Visitor & Education Centre on the site of the original accommodation for pilgrims.

This has the welcome desk and a small exhibition area. There is a small shop at the back of the cathedral and a newly built refectory serving light lunches as well as cakes.

Entry to the Cathedral is free although donations are welcomed. There are hourly free guided talks on Monday to Saturday, between 11am and 3pm. Advertised as lasting about an hour, ours took 75 minutes with another 15 minutes for the cloisters. As well as covering some of the history of the cathedral it shows visitors some of the highlights of the building as well as many other smaller points of interest that can be so easily be missed.

The inside of the cathedral can be quite dark, especially during the winter months, and this made photography difficult, giving some pictures a blue cast. In February, the lights were turned on inside the cathedral around 3pm, making photography a lot easier. Unfortunately I did not have time to go round and retake all of the pictures.

Some of the outside pictures were taken on a sunny day in August and sunshine really does make a difference and brings out the colour of the stone.

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[Eleanor]

Norwich Cathedral cont...

Walking into the nave, the first impression is of height and length. Only St Alban’s is longer. Arcade pillars and rounded Norman arches with dog tooth carving soar up to the vaulted ceiling.

This replaced the original wood ceiling which was destroyed by fire in the C15th which explains the difference in the colour of the stone. It is a wonderful example of a Lierne vaulted ceiling with carved bosses at the intersections of the ribs. These begin with the Old Testament by the choir and end with the Last Judgement at the west end.

The Great West Window tracery dates from the mid C15th. The stained glass is Victorian and placed here in 1854. There was an immediate outcry after it was put in and it was painted over with brown varnish. It remained like this until the 1970s when the varnish was removed and the window restored. The glass is still bright, even on a dull day. At the top are scenes from the life of Christ and below are corresponding scenes from the life of Moses.

During Baptisms, the copper font is moved under the boss of the Baptism of Christ. This was originally used for boiling up chocolate in the Rowntree’s Factory in Norwich and was given to the cathedral when factory closed in 1997.

The Chantry Chapel of Bishop Richard Nykke, the last Bishop before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, can be recognised by the elaborate carved roof below two bays on the south arcade near the nave altar. It only used for two years as all chantry chapels were destroyed after the Dissolution.

Near this in the south aisle is the remains of an early Medieval wall painting depicting Bishop Herbert de Losinga. At the bottom, he is petitioning William I to buy the Bishopric. Above he has made a pilgrimage to Rome to make penance and seek forgiveness of the Pope. This is given and he returned to build his Cathedral. This is the earliest representation of Norwich Cathedral to survive.

By the nave altar are two spirally carved round pillars. There were originally four but two were altered after the fire in 1463. These marked the position of the Medieval nave altar. The nave was used by the town. The Choir and Presbytery were used by the monks.

The carved stone nave pulpit dates from the end of the C19th. The civic regalia of the city are displayed on a pillar opposite.

On a pillar near the stone screen is some C15th graffiti showing the carving of a boat.

The organ is above the stone screen separating the nave and choir. Although some of the organ pipes are C17th, the organ itself dates from 1899. The organ case was made in 1950.

The canopies above the choir stalls are the original C15th Perpendicular carvings. The actual stalls themselves are C19th and are made from paler wood.

The Bishop’s throne is also C19th and was designed by JL Pearson.

There are two rows of original C15th stalls in front of the transepts, still with their misericords.

These are all secular carvings and there is a lovely one of a schoolmaster smacking the bare bottom of a naughty school boy.

The Chantry Chapel of St James with the tomb of Bishop James Goldwell, who was responsible for the Presbytery roof, is between the choir and the south ambulatory. The tomb canopy is as brightly coloured as it would have been when built. His effigy is the only medieval effigy to survive.

A short flight of steps behind the pelican lectern leads to the presbytery with its rounded Norman apse. The glorious clerestory with its stained glass windows was added in 1362 after the spire blew down and damaged the east end.

The stone vaulted ceiling was the work of Bishop James Goldwell in the C15th and was a bit of an ego trip on his part as all the the carved bosses have small angels holding gold wells.

In front of the high altar is the C16th stone slab commemorating Herbert de Losinga, the founder of the Cathedral and replaces the original memorial. Beyond it is a bas relief of him, placed here to commemorate the Cathedral’s 900 anniversary.

The altar rail is C19th and has roundels of Blue John stone set in blue enamel.

Sitting at the top of a flight of steps overlooking the altar are the remains of the original Bishop’s throne dating from the C8th cathedral of North Elmham. The two stones survived fire and exposure to the elements. They have been incorporated into the seat of a modern wood chair designed to be as close to the original as possible. They are all that is left of the oldest Bishop’s throne still in use in any English cathedral.

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[Eleanor]

Norwich Cathedral cont...

The ambulatory runs round the outer edge of the choir and presbytery and has three chapels off.

Most of the medieval stained glass was destroyed during the Reformation. The remaining pieces have been collected and placed in a window in the north ambulatory.

The simple Chapel of St Andrew off the north transept has blind Norman arcading around the walls and a small C14th painting of the crucifixion behind the modern stone altar.

Jesus Chapel is a small semi-circular chapel off the north ambulatory with much more elaborate arcading with carved capitals with the remains of wall paintings. The stone altar slab is a rare Norman survivor. Above it is a painting of the Adoration of the Magi dating from the 1480s.

St Saviour’s Chapel was built in 1932 on the site of the Lady Chapel which was destroyed in the time of Elizabeth I. It is dedicated to the Norfolk Regiment and their standards hang from the roof. The painted panels of the reredos came from the redundant church of St Michael at Plea.

The stained glass windows have images of East Anglian saints, including Julian of Norwich, the C14th anchorite in St Julian’s Church on King Street. She was a well educated noblewoman and wrote her book “The Revelations of Divine Love” after a series of visions. This depicts a God of Love and very different from the Medieval image of a hell fire and damnation.

Opposite the entrance to St Saviour’s Chapel and beneath the apse with the Bishop’s chair is a small niche which would have been used to display relics. A square hole at the back was designed so that the Holy Aura could waft upwards and inspire the bishop sitting above.

There is a small chantry chapel of the C14th Prior Bozoun between the south ambulatory and the presbytery.

On the outer wall of the south ambulatory is an C11th statue believed to be on Bishop Herbert de Losinga.

St Luke’s Chapel is off the south ambulatory. Behind the altar is a late C14th painting, known as the Despenser Reredos, named after the Bishop of Norwich, Henry le Despenser. His forces successfully contained the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in Norfolk and the painting was probably commissioned in thanksgiving. The five panels depict scenes from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection. The reredos was re-discovered in 1847, having been reversed and used as a table top. The top section was damaged and only the top of the central section showing Christ in Majesty has been restored. The rest have been left.

The Victorian stained glass window has representations of St Luke. At the top is Luke the doctor tending the sick. In the centre is Luke the artist as he is believed to have painted a portrait of the Virgin Mary and is the patron saint of artists. At the bottom is Luke the evangelist, writing his gospel along with his symbol of a winged ox.

The C15th stone medieval font came from St Mary in the Marsh church, which stood in the Cathedral Close and is an example of a seven sacrament font. These were very popular in East Anglia. Above it is a Chrismatory made of silver gilt and glass. It contains three vials containing the Holy oils used to anoint to sick or dying, for use in baptism and for use in the ordination of priest and consecration of bishops.

Directly north of the high altar and spanning the ambulatory around the presbytery is the reliquary arch.

The relics had originally been kept in a small niche in the ambulatory under the Bishop’s Chair. It is likely this was built after the riots of 1272 to keep the relics safe from further disturbances. The relics could include the bones of a saint or holy person, fragments of their clothing or some of their possessions.

The room is reached by a steep stone staircase and now houses the Cathedral Treasury and contains silver and silver gilt chalices, communion plate and spoons from churches across Norfolk.

The ceiling has the most extensive collection of surviving wall paintings within the Cathedral, dating from the C14th.

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[Eleanor]

Norwich Cathedral cont...

The Cloisters were destroyed in the 1272 riots between the town and the monks. They took 150 years to rebuilt as work was slowed down by the Black Death. They display the change in architectural styles during this period. The east walk was the first to be completed by 1318 and and is early Decorated architecture. The west walk was built in the C14th. The north walk was the last to be finished in 1430 and is Perpendicular in style.

The cloisters are reached through the Prior’s door from the nave. The statues on the cloister side date from the C13th and escaped the attentions of the Puritans. At the top is Christ in Majesty surrounded by Lords Temporal and Spiritual.

The cloisters have a fine collection of roof bosses with a mix of secular and religious carvings. Those of the south corridor have scenes from the Book of Revelation.

There is nothing left of the chapter house, monk’s dormitory or warming room off the east walk, although the book cupboards used to store books survive.

At the western end of the south walk and near the entrance to the Refectory is the two bayed lavatorium where monks washed before eating.

These were restored in the C20th and the south bay has wall statues of George V and Queen Mary. The adjacent bay has statues of George VI and his Queen, Elizabeth.

In the centre of the cloister green is a labyrinth, which commemorates the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It is a twisting but continuous path to the centre and unlike a maze you cannot get lost. It is designed for the walker to contemplate the gentle guiding hand of God throughout life.

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[Eleanor]

Norwich Catherdal Close and the River

The Cathedral Close is one of the largest of any English Cathedral. There are two main gateways giving access to the Close, the Ethelred and Erpingham Gates.

The southernmost gate is the Ethelred Gate. This dates from the late C13th following riots between the townsfolk and the church. St Ethelred’s Church was burnt down and the Priory and Cathedral buildings looted and damaged. Henry III had to intervene and executed the townsfolk ringleaders, ordering the city to replace St Ethelbert’s church with a new gateway into the Close which would have a chapel on the upper floor. The result is a splendid gateway of Medieval flint flushwork with decorative panels of knapped flint separated by dressed freestone. It is thought this is the first example of flushwork in England.

The side facing the town is the more ornate. On either side of the gateway arch are carvings of a figure with a long sword and a dragon or serpent. The side facing the Close is plainer with a large window letting light into the chapel above. The underside of the archway is covered with beautiful lierne vaulting with bosses, including a green man.

The Erpingham Gate to the north was built of flint in the early C15th, by Sir Thomas Erpingham. His kneeling figure is in an arch above the gateway facing the city, placed here in the late C17th. He was a very influential figure in the late C14th and early C15th. He was Chamberlain to Henry IV and guarded the deposed Richard II in the Tower of London. He was commander of Henry V’s archers at the Battle of Agincourt. He was buried in the cathedral and the Erpingham gateway was part of his legacy to the city of Norwich. His arms are on the side of the gateway facing the Cathedral.

Immediately inside the Erpingham Gate is the C14th Chantry Chapel of St John the Evangelist, which was built above an old charnel house. The undercroft of the chapel continued to be used as a charnel store and the building was designed with low round windows that allowed people to look into the undercroft and view the collection of bones. This is now the chapel of King Edward VI school. When I visited in February 2017, the undercroft was open with a small exhibition of metal sculpture.

The Close is surrounded by over 80 listed buildings, built of either brick or flint.

These are owned by the Cathedral and are a mix of residential and business use. The Chapter Office is here.

There is also access to the cathedral from near here.

The Close drops down to the River Wensum following a lane built on the site of the medieval canal which transported stone for building the cathedral.

Pull’s Ferry was originally a C15th arched watergate at the entrance of the canal. The ferry house adjoining the watergate was added in 1647 to provide accommodation for the ferryman running a ferry service across the river. The building is named after John Pull, who ran the ferry from 1796 to 1841. The ferry continued to run until the 1930s.

A riverside walk follows the Wensum past the C14th Bishop Bridge which was the only permanent crossing point on the east side of the city and the lowest bridging point on the Rivers Wensum and Yare.

Beyond Bishop Bridge is Cow Tower. Dating from 1398/9, this is one of the earliest purpose-built artillery blockhouses in England. It stood apart from the main city walls, close to the river where its height would have allowed it to fire onto the higher ground opposite the city. Designed to house guns and a garrison of gunners, it was designed to defend the north-eastern approach to Norwich across the River Wensum.

The walls wer 6’ thick with a flint core faced with brick, and thought to be some of the finest medieval brickwork in England. The Cow Tower was specially designed to support the use of gunpowder artillery, making it a very rare structure in England for this period. The walls have gunports for the smaller pieces of artillery as well as arrow loops for crossbows and small guns. The roof would have supported the heavier cannons, with wide embrasures giving the weapons adequate firing space.

It was maintained throughout the C15th century, and played a role in the Kett's Rebellion of 1549, when the rebels attacked Norwich, deploying artillery and damaging the tower's parapets. Repairs to the tower's walls in the late 19th century inadvertently caused long-term damage and in 1953 it was taken into the guardianship of the Ministry of Works. Now a roofless empty shell, it is now managed by English Heritage

Between Cow Tower and the Cathedral is the Great Hospital.

This was founded in 1249 by Bishop Walter de Suffield and was known as St Giles’ Hospital until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It cared for aged priests, poor scholars, and sick and hungry paupers. The buildings were set around a small cloister. The church of St Helen not only acted as a church, it also had an infirmary at one end.

Clerics remained unmarried in this period so had no family to support them in old age. The poor scholars, boys selected on merit from local song schools were to receive a daily meal during term times. This was to continue until the boy had achieved a good grasp of Latin. With this help, bright but poor boys were given the chance to train as choristers or even to enter the priesthood.

Thirty beds were earmarked in the west end of the church for the sick poor, and thirteen paupers were to be fed at the hospital gates each day. Four chaplains, a deacon and sub-deacon, as well as a master of St. Giles’, were appointed. The hospital was modelled upon the Augustinian rule under which excessive liturgical ritual was discouraged to permit more time for charitable works. Nevertheless, the master and chaplains were bound to sing three masses a day, including one for Bishop Suffield’s soul, as well as a weekly mass in honour of St Giles.

The original hospital has been added to over the years and now provides almshouses and sheltered housing Monthly tours are run during the summer months.

St Helen’s Church is still used for worship and also acts as parish church for population of Bishopgate.

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[Eleanor]

Church of St Peter Mancroft

This is the largest and most important of the medieval churches in Norwich. A church was founded on this site in 1075, pre-dating the Cathedral, as a symbol of Norman power and domination. This was rebuilt in 1430-55 in the latest perpendicular style and was intended as a symbol of wealth and importance and favoured by the elite of of Norwich, including the gentry and some of the aristocracy. . The walls were faced with limestone which had to be brought to Norwich from many miles away. The name Mancroft is thought to come from the Latin, Magna Crofta, meaning big meadow. It is a big church and almost impossible to photograph all of it.

The inside is equally as impressive as the exterior, with tall fluted arcades leading up to a hammer beam roof with fan tracery. There is no rood screen, making the church seem even larger.

The organ is above the west door.

On one of the columns is a Mayoral staff.

The C15 font is at the back of the north aisle and topped by a tall wooden cover which was restored in the C19th. On the wall behind is a C16th tapestry which may have been woven by Flemish weavers living in the parish and have been used as the Easter altar frontal.

The altar reredos dates from the end of the C19th but was gilded by Ninian Comper in 1930 when the lower line of figures were added.

The massive east window contains one of the best collections of C15th stained glass. This was saved from destruction during the Civil War and was reassembled, with some Victorian panels replacing lost panels in the bottom row .

To the left of the chancel is the Jesus Chapel with the splendid tomb of Francis Wyndham, recorder for Norwich in the time of Elizabeth I. The window has a depiction of the Transfiguration and stories from the Old and New Testaments.

To the right of the chancel is St Anne Chapel. This was the meeting place for mothers and daughters who belonged to the medieval Guild of St Anne which was similar to the present day Mother’s Union. The beautiful window is a memorial to the dead of the Great War.

Next to it is a small chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary which is set aside for private prayer.

St Nicholas Chapel in the north transept now houses the treasury with a collection of church silver and other historic artefacts and artworks.

The window depicts four female saints: Dorothy, Margaret, Barbara and Cecilia. Below are scenes from their lives and panels depicting women in the Bible.

This lovely C15th alabaster carving in the Treasury depicts St Peter with crossed keys, St Paul with a sword and St Andrew with a saltire cross.

The church is open Monday- Saturday from 10.30-3,30 and there are usually stewards in the church. There are informative boards with information about bellringers at St Peter Mancroft.

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