St Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Nicholas in Great Yarmouth
, which is the largest parish church in England by floor-surface area, was founded in 1101 by Herbert de Losinga
, the first Bishop of Norwich
, and consecrated in 1119. It is cruciform, with a central tower, which perhaps preserves a part of the original structure, but by successive alterations the form of the church has been completely changed. The width of the nave is 26 ft, and the total length of the church is 236 ft. The church is the parish church of Great Yarmouth.
, close to the house of Anna Sewell
and is possibly the oldest building in the town. There are two main areas of graveyard
: one is the old yard, which is located directly behind the church, and one in the new yard, which stretches for about half a mile to the north. The church is not only used for religious services but is a hub for various other events. There are choir shows, exhibitions and, during festivals and fayres, the church opens up to allow stalls and traders inside. The Transitional clerestoried
nave
, with columns alternately octagonal and circular, was rebuilt in the reign of King John
. A portion of the chancel is of the same date. About fifty years later the aisles were widened, so the nave is now the narrowest part of the building.
were cast into weights and the gravestones cut into grindstones. Within the church there were at one time 18 chapels, maintained by guilds or private families, but these were demolished by the Reformers
, who sold the valuable utensils of the building and spent the money in widening the channel of the harbour.
the Independents appropriated the chancel, the Presbyterians the north aisle, and the Churchmen were allowed the remainder of the building. The brick walls erected at this time to separate the different portions of the building remained until 1847. In 1864 the tower was restored
, and the east end of the chancel rebuilt; between 1869 and 1870 the south aisle was rebuilt; and in 1884 the south transept, the west end of the nave and the north aisle underwent restoration.
, West Brompton in 1960 to replace the organ destroyed in the bombing during the Second World War.
A specification of the current organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
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...
, which is the largest parish church in England by floor-surface area, was founded in 1101 by Herbert de Losinga
Herbert de Losinga
Herbert de Losinga was the first Bishop of Norwich. He founded Norwich Cathedral in 1096 when he was Bishop of Thetford.-Life:...
, the first 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...
, and consecrated in 1119. It is cruciform, with a central tower, which perhaps preserves a part of the original structure, but by successive alterations the form of the church has been completely changed. The width of the nave is 26 ft, and the total length of the church is 236 ft. The church is the parish church of Great Yarmouth.
The building
The building itself is located in the central area of Great YarmouthGreat 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...
, close to the house of Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell was an English novelist, best known as the author of the classic novel Black Beauty.-Biography:Anna Mary Sewell was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England into a devoutly Quaker family...
and is possibly the oldest building in the town. There are two main areas of graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
: one is the old yard, which is located directly behind the church, and one in the new yard, which stretches for about half a mile to the north. The church is not only used for religious services but is a hub for various other events. There are choir shows, exhibitions and, during festivals and fayres, the church opens up to allow stalls and traders inside. The Transitional clerestoried
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, with columns alternately octagonal and circular, was rebuilt in the reign of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. A portion of the chancel is of the same date. About fifty years later the aisles were widened, so the nave is now the narrowest part of the building.
Priory school
Also within the confines of the churchyard is the Priory school. It is no longer a school and was moved to the old nursing school in the town centre although it keeps the name of Priory Primary. It is now called the Priory Centre and contains a café, support centre and CLIP information point.Early history
A grand west front with towers and pinnacles was constructed between 1330 and 1338, but the building was interrupted by a visitation of the plague. In the 16th century the ornamental brassesMonumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
were cast into weights and the gravestones cut into grindstones. Within the church there were at one time 18 chapels, maintained by guilds or private families, but these were demolished by the Reformers
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, who sold the valuable utensils of the building and spent the money in widening the channel of the harbour.
Split church
During the CommonwealthEnglish Revolution
"English Revolution" has been used to describe two different events in English history. The first to be so called—by Whig historians—was the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereby James II was replaced by William III and Mary II as monarch and a constitutional monarchy was established.In the...
the Independents appropriated the chancel, the Presbyterians the north aisle, and the Churchmen were allowed the remainder of the building. The brick walls erected at this time to separate the different portions of the building remained until 1847. In 1864 the tower was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
, and the east end of the chancel rebuilt; between 1869 and 1870 the south aisle was rebuilt; and in 1884 the south transept, the west end of the nave and the north aisle underwent restoration.
Recent history
St Nicholas was bombed and nearly destroyed by fire during the Second World War. It was rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1961. During its reconstruction, the church temporarily used the building of St Peter's Church on St Peter's Road. When St Nicholas re-opened, St Peter's began to decline until the 1960s, when it was taken over for use by the growing Greek community, and in 1981 became St Spiridon's Greek Orthodox Church.Organ
The organ was obtained from St Mary the BoltonsSt Mary the Boltons
St Mary the Boltons is an Anglican church in The Boltons, Brompton, London. It is a Grade II listed building.-History:The Boltons, a street in Brompton, was farmland until the middle of the 19th century. As part of westward expansion of London the land was developed by Robert Gunter the...
, West Brompton in 1960 to replace the organ destroyed in the bombing during the Second World War.
A specification of the current organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
List of organists
- Dr. Musgrave Heighington 1733 - 1746 (formerly organist of Holy Trinity Church, HullHoly Trinity Church, HullHoly Trinity Church is an Anglican parish church in the centre of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.-History:It is the largest parish church in England when floor area is the measurement for comparison...
, afterwards organist of St Martin's Church, LeicesterLeicester CathedralLeicester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Martin, Leicester is a Church of England cathedral in the English city of Leicester, and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester...
) - John Christian Mantel 1748 - 1761
- John Eager 1803 - 1833 and Isaac Lewis ca. 1815
- Mr. Warne
- Henry Stonex 1850 - 1895
- Haydon Hare 1895 - 1937 - 1944 (formerly organist of Bourne AbbeyBourne AbbeyBourne Abbey and the Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul is a scheduled Grade I church in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England. The building remains in parochial use, despite the 16th century Dissolution, as the nave was used by the parish, probably from the time of the foundation of the abbey in...
Church) - Richard Humphrey
- John Farmer, B.A., A.R.C.O.,
- Benjamin Angwin, MA
- Alan Snow
- Barry Waterlow, M.Mus.(Western Washington), A.R.C.C.O., L.Mus.L.C.M.
- John Stephens BA(Hons) MMus ATCL, 2006 - ongoing
List of assistant organists
- Constance Mary Hinds 1929 - 1940
- John Stephens 1999 - 2001