St Margaret's, Cley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Margaret's |
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| St Margaret's Church, Cley next the Sea | |
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 St Margaret's
Location in Norfolk
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| 52°56′47″N 1°02′51″E / 52.94639°N 1.04750°E | |
| OS grid reference | TG 032 435 |
| Location | Cley next the Sea Norfolk |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Cley |
| Deanery | Holt |
| Archdeaconry | Lynn |
| Diocese | Norwich |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Margaret's Church is a historic church in the village of Cley next the Sea, Norfolk, England. It belongs to the Church of England. The church is named after Saint Margaret of Antioch.
St Margaret's is the biggest church in the Blakeney Haven area. It was mostly rebuilt between the 1320s and the mid-1340s. Later, a large south porch was added. The church has a mix of architectural styles, mainly Perpendicular and Decorated, with an older chancel built in an early English style.
Inside, you can see an octagonal font, which is a basin used for baptisms. There are also carved wooden bench ends and a beautiful carved rood screen. This screen used to separate the main part of the church from the altar area. St Margaret's is a very important building in England. It has a special "Grade I listing" because of its amazing architecture.
Contents
What Makes St Margaret's Special?
St Margaret's Church is known for its size and its interesting mix of building styles. The church was built to be very grand, showing how important Cley was as a port long ago.
Church Features You Can See
The church has several cool features to look out for:
- The nave is the main part of the church where people sit. It is very large.
- The chancel is the area near the altar, where the clergy (church leaders) sit.
- The south porch is a covered entrance at the side of the church.
- The transepts are the parts of the church that stick out like arms, making the church look like a cross from above. At St Margaret's, the north and south transepts are no longer used.
- The font is where baptisms take place. St Margaret's has an eight-sided font.
- The rood screen is a decorative wooden screen that once separated the nave from the chancel.
A Home for History
The church also has many memorials to remember people who served in wars. These help us remember important moments in history.
The White-Crowned Sparrow Story
In 2008, something very unusual happened in Cley. A white-crowned sparrow, a bird usually found in America, was seen in the village! This was a big deal because these birds almost never visit the United Kingdom.
Many birdwatchers came to Cley to see this rare visitor. They were so excited that they donated over £6,000 to help restore St Margaret's Church. To remember this special event, an image of the white-crowned sparrow was added to one of the church's windows. It's a unique way to connect nature and history!
Images for kids
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Nave, looking towards the font and the west door
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Depiction of a white-crowned sparrow in window in St Margaret's
