St Mary's Church, Fordham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Fordham |
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St Mary's Church, Fordham, from the south
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| OS grid reference | TL 617 996 |
| Location | Fordham, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 9 July 1951 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Carstone, slated and tiled roofs |
St Mary's Church is found just south of the village of Fordham in Norfolk, England. This old Anglican church is no longer used for regular services. It is now looked after by the Friends of Friendless Churches. The church is a very important building. It is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a special historic place.
A Look Back: Church History
This church was first built way back in the 13th century. That's over 700 years ago! Some changes were made in the mid-14th century. More work was done around 1730. At that time, the church's tower was taken down. The south aisle, which is a side part of the church, was also removed. St Mary's Church stopped being used for regular services on June 1, 1991. The Friends of Friendless Churches took over its care in September 2011.
Church Design: Architecture
St Mary's Church is built from a type of stone called carstone. This stone is found in the local area. The church has a simple layout. It has a main hall called a nave and a smaller area at the east end called a chancel. The roof over the nave is made of slate. The chancel roof is covered with tiles. On the west end of the church, there is a small bell-cot. This is a small structure that holds a bell.
The church used to have a south arcade. This was a row of arches on the south side. These arches have now been filled in. Two windows with Perpendicular tracery were put in their place. Tracery is the stone pattern in the top part of a window. The south wall of the chancel has a similar window. The north wall of the nave also has one. There is also a larger three-light window in the north wall of the nave. A two-light window with Y-tracery is in the chancel. Interestingly, there is no window at the very east end of the church.
What's Inside the Church?
Not many original items are left inside St Mary's Church. You can still see a special coffin lid with flower designs. There are also parts of an old medieval pew. A pew is a long bench for people to sit on. You can also find a candelabra inside. This is a large candle holder. There is also a pew designed by Randell Feilden. He was the brother of a famous architect named Sir Bernard Feilden.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
