King's Lynn Minster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King's Lynn Minster |
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King's Lynn Minster
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| Location | King's Lynn |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | stmargaretskingslynn.org.uk |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Margaret's Parish Church, King's Lynn |
| Dedication | St Margaret of Antioch |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Groundbreaking | 1095 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of towers | 2 |
| Bells | 10 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Margaret with St Nicholas and St Edmund, King's Lynn |
| Deanery | Lynn |
| Archdeaconry | Lynn |
| Diocese | Diocese of Norwich |
King's Lynn Minster, also known as St Margaret's Church, is a very old and important church in the town of King's Lynn, England. It's part of the Church of England. The church building was mostly built between the 12th and 15th centuries. It had a big repair job on its main hall (called the nave) in the 1700s. Five of its ten bells and its organ are also from the mid-1700s. Since 2011, it has been called King's Lynn Minster, which is an honorary title given by the Bishop of Norwich. The church is also a Grade I listed building, meaning it's a very important historical site.
Contents
History of the Minster
Starting as a Priory
The church was first built in 1095 by Herbert de Losinga, who was the Bishop of Norwich. It was made to serve a group of monks who lived there, called a Benedictine Priory. It was named after St Margaret of Antioch. This priory was connected to a bigger one in Norwich.
The church has two towers. The thinner south-west tower was built in the 12th century. It has an Early English Gothic style. The larger north-west tower was built later, in the 15th century, in a Perpendicular style. The part of the church where the altar is (the chancel) was built in the 13th century. It has a clerestory, which is a high section with windows. Some parts of the very first Norman building can still be seen at the base of the south-west tower.
Becoming a Parish Church
After the English Reformation, a big change in the church in England, St Margaret's became the main church for the town of King's Lynn. Its land and money were then used to support Norwich Cathedral.
In 1741, a part of the church called the central lantern and the south-west spire fell down. This damaged a lot of the main hall (nave). The nave was rebuilt between 1745 and 1746 by an architect named Matthew Brettingham. He used an early Gothic revival style, which meant he tried to make it look like older Gothic churches. The church still has its medieval misericords, which are small wooden seats that people could lean on during long services.
The Bells
The church has a set of 10 bells. The oldest bell is a small bell called a Sanctus bell. It was made in 1657 by Thomas Norris. The main set of 10 bells rings in the key of C. The heaviest bell, called the tenor, weighs over 28 long cwt (about 1,422 kilograms).
Here are the bells and when they were made:
- 1 Mears and Stainbank 1887
- 2 Mears and Stainbank 1887
- 3 Lester and Pack 1766
- 4 Lester and Pack 1766
- 5 Lester and Pack 1766
- 6 Lester and Pack 1766
- 7 Lester and Pack 1766
- 8 Mears and Stainbank 1893
- 9 John Taylor Bellfounders Ltd 2005
- 10 Lester and Pack 1766
The Organ
The church's organ was put in place in 1754 by John Snetzler. A famous music historian and composer named Charles Burney was the church organist for nine years, starting in 1751. The organ has been repaired and rebuilt many times since it was first installed. The most recent work on it was in 2003 by Holmes and Swift. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Gallery
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The main hall (nave) and the chancel
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A decorated end of a church pew
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The case of the Snetzler organ
