St Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth
| The Minster Church of St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth | |
|---|---|
Great Yarmouth Minster
|
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Modern Liberal Catholic |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | 1101 |
| Founder(s) | Herbert de Losinga |
| Dedication | St Nicholas |
| Consecrated | 1119 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Great Yarmouth |
| Diocese | Norwich |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Canon(s) | Vacant |
| Priest(s) | The Revd Jemma Sander-Heys |
| Honorary priest(s) | The Revd John Greenway |
| Curate(s) | The Rev'd Grant Bolton-Debbage The Rev'd Frank Cliff |
| Minister(s) | The Revd Stephen Andrews |
| Laity | |
| Organist/Director of music | John Stephens |
The Norman-era Minster Church of St Nicholas in Great Yarmouth remains, due to its floor-surface area, England's largest parish church. It was founded in 1101 by Herbert de Losinga, the first Bishop of Norwich, and consecrated in 1119. Since its construction, it has been Great Yarmouth's parish church. It is cruciform, with a central tower, which may preserve a part of the original structure. Gradual alterations effectively changed the form of the building. Its nave is 26 feet (7.9 m) wide, and the church's total length is 236 feet (72 m).
In December 2011, the Bishop of Norwich officially designated it a Minster Church. It is not only used for religious services but is a hub for various other regional and civic events, including concerts by choirs, orchestras and other musical ensembles, art exhibitions and, during festivals and fayres, the church opens permitting stalls and traders inside.
The building, very possibly the town's oldest, is also its most visible, historic landmark. It sits in the central area of Great Yarmouth, close to the house of Anna Sewell. 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 that the nave is now, rather unusually, the narrowest part of the building. Immediately adjacent are two main graveyard areas: the Old Yard lies directly east behind the church, while the very substantial New Yard stretches for about half a mile to the north.
Within the confines of the churchyard is the original priory school building now called the Priory Centre, which contains a café, support centre and information point. A new St Nicholas Priory Church of England VA Primary School stands nearby in the town centre.
A grand west front with towers and pinnacles was constructed between 1330 and 1338, but a plague interrupted building extension plans. In the 16th century the ornamental brasses were cast into weights and the gravestones cut into grindstones. Within the church there were at one time 18 chapels, some maintained by guilds, others by private families, such as the Paxtons. At the Reformation the chapels were demolished and the building's valuable liturgical vessels sold off, the proceeds spent to widen the channel of the harbour.
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Wikipedia