St Clement's Church, Norwich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Clement's Church, Norwich |
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St Clement's Church, Norwich
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| 52°37′59.49″N 1°17′47.88″E / 52.6331917°N 1.2966333°E | |
| Location | Norwich, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Clement |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
St Clement’s Church in Norwich, England, is a very old and important building. It is a Grade I listed church, which means it's considered a building of special historical interest. The church is named after Saint Clement, who is a popular saint, especially for sailors.
Contents
The Church's Long History
St Clement's Church is believed to be one of the first churches built on the north side of the river in Norwich. It was first built a very long time ago, around the year 1040, during the Middle Ages.
What the Church Looks Like
The outside of the church has changed over time. The main part of the church, called the Nave, is newer than an older, narrower one. You can still see parts of the older church's walls on either side of the tower. The Chancel (the area around the altar), the Nave, and the Tower were mostly built in the 1400s. However, the east window of the Chancel looks older, suggesting that part of the building was built even earlier.
Inside the church, the arches along the walls and the roof also date back to the 1400s. Look up at the roof and you'll see special carved supports called corbels. These are shaped like angels holding shields, and some of them even have trumpets! The font, which is used for baptisms, is also from the 1400s and is decorated with carvings of flowers and leaves.
What Happened After 1971
In 1971, St Clement's Church was no longer used for regular church services. It was then taken care of by the Norwich Historic Churches Trust. This group works to protect and restore old churches.
Their work on St Clement's has included:
- Fixing the tower in 1991 after a fire.
- Redecorating the inside of the church in 2007.
The church was empty for a few years until 1977. Then, it was opened for prayer and meditation for people of all faiths. This continued until 1999. After that, it became a church for a Romanian Orthodox group until 2015. Later, it was used by Gildencraft, a program that teaches young people how to become stonemasons. Today, the church building is used as a store for craftspeople and builders.
The Church Organ
St Clement's Church once had a pipe organ built by G.M. Holdich. However, this organ was moved to another church, All Saints, in 1889. A new organ was then put in its place. The organ that is currently in the church was originally made by Rothwell in 1944 and was later changed in 1966.
