St Julian's, Norwich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Julian |
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| St Julian's Church, Norwich | |
View from north
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| 52°37′29.4″N 1°18′02.4″E / 52.624833°N 1.300667°E | |
| Location | Norwich, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | stjohnstimberhill.org |
| History | |
| Founded | 11th century |
| Dedication | Julian of Le Mans, or possibly Julian the Hospitaller |
| Events | Destroyed by bombing in 1942; rebuilt 1953. |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Norwich, St John the Baptist, Timberhill with Norwich St Julian |
| Deanery | Norwich East |
| Archdeaconry | Norwich |
| Diocese | Norwich |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Julian's Church is an old church in Norwich, England. It is part of the Church of England. The church is a Grade I listed building, which means it is very important historically.
During the Middle Ages, Norwich was a very busy city. A special religious woman named Julian of Norwich lived in a small room, called a cell, attached to this church. This cell was later taken down in the 1530s.
Over time, the church started to fall apart because there wasn't enough money for repairs. In 1845, part of the building collapsed, and it was fixed up. The church tower was also repaired in 1934. Sadly, in June 1942, St Julian's was hit during the Norwich Blitz in World War II. It was one of four churches destroyed in Norwich, but it was the only one rebuilt. It opened again in 1953. The old bell, damaged in the war, was put back in 1992.
Today, the church is made of flint stone with a tiled roof. It is a small church with a main hall (nave), a small area for the altar (chancel), and a round tower. A south chapel and porch were added in the 1950s. The baptismal font, used for baptisms, was moved here in 1977. The church also has an old pipe organ from 1860.
Contents
How the Church is Organized
St Julian's is part of a larger church group called the parish of St John the Baptist, Timberhill, with St Julian's, Norwich. This parish is part of the Diocese of Norwich. In January 2023, Richard Stanton became the main priest for the parish.
The church is open every day for people to visit and pray. A church service called the Mass is held on Sunday mornings.
A Look at St Julian's History
Early Days and Medieval Times
An early church on this spot was destroyed in 1004 when the Vikings attacked Norwich. The medieval church we know today was built in the 11th and 12th centuries. For a time, from 1269 to 1305, the nearby church of St Edward King and Confessor joined with St Julian's.
It's not totally clear who the church was first named after. Some think it was Julian the Hospitaller, while others believed it was a female saint, Juliana of Nicomedia. In 1135, Stephen, King of England put the church under the care of Carrow Abbey. The nuns from the Abbey chose the priest and helped take care of the church.
By the mid-1300s, Norwich was a very important city. It was probably the second largest city in England after London. It was a rich city with many people living there. Norwich had a cathedral, five monasteries, a convent, and many churches. This was more churches than almost any other city in medieval England.
Julian of Norwich: A Special Resident
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During the late Middle Ages, Norwich had many hermits and anchorites. These were people who chose to live alone for religious reasons. One famous anchorite was Julian of Norwich. She lived in a small cell attached to St Julian's Church. This area was busy, close to the quays of the River Wensum.
Julian was born around 1342 or 1343. We don't know exactly when she died, but it was after 1416. Her name, Julian, might have come from the church, but it was also a common name back then.
When Julian moved into her cell, she was cut off from the outside world. The door connecting her cell to the church was sealed. She had a small window to watch Mass and maybe another to talk to visitors.
Julian was the first woman whose writings in English have survived. Her book, called Revelations of Divine Love, tells about 16 special visions she had. She wrote it after she got better from a serious illness.
Another anchorite, Julian Lampet, lived in the cell for 50 years starting in 1428.
Church Decline and Rebuilding
After the English Reformation, the Abbey that cared for St Julian's was closed. For 45 years, no new priest was appointed to St Julian's. During this time, Julian's cell was taken down.
As people moved away from the area, the church slowly started to fall apart. By 1827, the church was in very bad shape. Part of the chancel collapsed in 1845, and services stopped.
After this collapse, money was raised to fix the church. It went through a big repair project. Old wall paintings were covered or destroyed, and the inside was changed. The tower was made shorter, and a new window was put in. By 1860, the roof was tiled instead of thatched. In the early 1900s, the tower was repaired again in 1934.
Destruction and Rebuilding in World War II
St Julian's Church was almost completely destroyed in June 1942 during the Norwich Blitz. After the war, money was collected to rebuild it. It was the only church destroyed in Norwich during the war that was rebuilt. An architect named A. J. Chaplin redesigned it, and it reopened in 1953. A small chapel was built where Julian's old cell used to be.
The church's bell was made in 1450. It fell and was badly damaged when the church was destroyed. After being fixed, it was put back in the church in 1992. It is one of the oldest bells in the city.
Church Architecture
St Julian's Church was given Grade I Listed status in 1954. This means it's a very important historic building. The church is made of flint stone with stone and brick details, and it has a tiled roof. It has a main hall (nave), a small area for the altar (chancel), a round tower, a south chapel, and a room for the priest (vestry).
Some parts of the original church still have old Anglo-Saxon windows. These were found during repairs. The building mostly dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries.
The round tower was not rebuilt to its original height after the war. The south chapel and vestry were added in the 20th century. The porch was added when the church was rebuilt in the 1950s. The Norman doorway that connects the nave to the chapel came from St Michael at Thorn, another church destroyed in 1942.
Baptismal Font
The eight-sided baptismal font is a replacement for the first one, which was lost when the church was bombed. This font was moved from All Saints' Church, Norwich in 1977. It has eight figures carved into it, including the Apostles, Saint Michael the Archangel, and Saint George.
Organ
The church has an organ from 1860. It was made by Henry Jones of London and put in St Julian's in 1966. It was originally in a house in Abbess Roding, Essex. You can find more details about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Churchyard Discoveries
In 1906, some old stonework was found in the churchyard. People think it might have been from the anchorite's cell that was destroyed.
In 2014 and 2015, archaeologists dug near the churchyard. They found medieval things, including graves. This showed that the churchyard used to be bigger, extending further east. That part of the churchyard was built over by the 1600s.
