Norwegian Church, Swansea facts for kids
The Norwegian Church was a special place for Norwegian sailors. It was first built in Newport, but later moved to the docklands area of Swansea, Wales. This building is very important, so it is a Grade II listed building, meaning it is protected because of its history and architecture.
History of the Church
The Norwegian Church building first stood in Newport Docks. It had two main parts: a seaman's mission, which was like a community center, and a beautiful Gothic-style church. It was built as a place where Norwegian sailors could worship and find support when their ships visited the UK.
In 1910, the church was moved from Newport to Swansea. It was rebuilt near the River Tawe, close to the docks where many ships arrived.
Keeping the Church Alive
In 1966, the main Norwegian Seamen's Mission in Bergen, Norway, decided to close the Swansea church. They told the last minister, Pastor Somerset, to go back to Norway. But a Norwegian man named Eric Benneche, who lived in Swansea, didn't want the church to close. He wrote to the Bishop of Bergen and offered to keep the church open using money and help from the local Norwegian community.
The Bishop agreed, and he even visited Swansea to give Benneche the key to the church. Eric Benneche was allowed to lead services and special events like christenings, weddings, and funerals, even though he wasn't a full-time pastor.
After Eric Benneche, Reverend Vivian James took over in 1968. He had been a missionary in Lapland, Norway, and could speak both English and Norwegian. Reverend James kept the church running for another thirty years! When he retired in 1998, the Norwegian Church in Swansea was the very last working Seamen's Mission Church. It closed its doors that same year.
A New Home for the Church
Swansea's docklands area began to change and develop, and the church building needed to move again. In 2004, the church was carefully taken apart, piece by piece. Then, it was rebuilt in a new spot next to Swansea's Prince of Wales dock.
After its second move, the building reopened as a jewelry gallery. Later, it became a nursery for children. Today, it stands proudly next to two other historic buildings, the Ice House and J Shed, showing its long and interesting journey.
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