Church of St John Maddermarket

Church of Saint John the Baptist, Maddermarket
Church of St John the Baptist, Maddermarket
Church of Saint John the Baptist, Maddermarket Location in Norfolk
Coordinates: 52°37′48″N 1°17′34″E / 52.6300°N 1.2927°E / 52.6300; 1.2927
OS grid reference	TG 229 087
Location	Maddermarket, Norwich, Norfolk
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	Saint John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	26 February 1954
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Flint with stone and brick dressings; some ashlar

The Church of St John the Baptist, Maddermarket, is a redundant Anglican church in the city of Norwich, Norfolk, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

There may have been a church on the site in the 11th century, but the earliest fabric in the present church dates from the 14th century. Most of the church dates from a major rebuilding between about 1445 to 1510. At some time the east end of the church was shortened. There has been a tradition that this took place in 1578 when the street was widened for a visit by Elizabeth I, but this is considered to be untrue. Following this, the major changes were to the interior of the church. At some time a medieval chancel screen was removed. In 1849 a gallery was installed at the west end. Restorations took place in the 19th century; these included rebuilding the tower in 1822, and refurbishing the interior of the roof and rebuilding the walls in 1863. Also in 1863 the interior was reordered. There was a gas explosion in 1876, in which much of the stained glass was damaged. At the beginning of the 20th century the vicar, Rev William Busby, installed items of furniture collected from other churches. In 1914–15 work was done on the Lady chapel. The church was closed for Anglican worship in 1982, and used by a community from the Greek Orthodox Church until 1990, when it was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust.

The church is constructed mainly in flint with stone and brick dressings. The clerestory is faced with ashlar. The aisles are roofed with lead, and the rest of the church is slated. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave and chancel in one unit, north and south aisles extending the full length of the church, north and south porches, a north vestry, and a west tower. The east ends of the aisles have been converted into chapels, the south chapel being the Lady Chapel and on the north side the Jesus Chapel. The church is almost as wide as it is long. The tower is in four stages with diagonal buttresses. The bottom stage is open to the north and south, providing a passage for processions; the west arch is blocked. Above this is a rib vault decorated with twelve carved bosses. Over the west arch is a three-light Perpendicular window. In the top stage are three-light louvred bell openings on each side. The parapet is crenellated, with corner pinnacles and statues. Along the south wall of the south aisle are five buttresses, with three three-light windows in the eastern bays. The western bay incorporates a two-storey porch. Under the easternmost window is a priest's door. Also on the south wall is a sundial dating from the 17th or 18th century. Along the clerestory are eight three-light Perpendicular windows. At the east end of the chancel is a large five-light window with Decorated tracery, and at the east end of each aisle is a three-light window. The north porch also has two storeys. The arch over its doorway is decorated with a band of shields, and over the arch is a niche for a statue and a three-light square-headed window.