St Nicholas Church, Feltwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas Church, Feltwell |
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St Nicholas Church from the south
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| OS grid reference | TL 712 909 |
| Location | Feltwell, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Nicholas |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 8 July 1959 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | c. 683 |
| Closed | 1973 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 36 feet (11.0 m) |
| Width | 48 feet (14.6 m) |
| Materials | Body: flint and brick with ashlar dressings Tower: ferruginous conglomerate Roofs tiled Porch: brick |
St Nicholas Church is a very old Anglican church in the village of Feltwell, Norfolk, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, which is why it is called a "redundant church." This special building is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. It is also a Grade I Listed building, meaning it is a very important historical site.
One interesting thing about St Nicholas Church is its shape. It is wider than it is long! It also has two side aisles and used to have a tower that partly fell down.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
The very first church on this spot was built a long, long time ago, around the year 683. Imagine how old that is! Parts of this early church were taken down and rebuilt around 1072.
Later, in the 1400s, more parts were added. These included the side aisles, a higher row of windows called a clerestory, and an eight-sided top for the tower.
In the late 1400s, the church was damaged by a fire. It was fixed up in 1491. However, by the 1500s, it started to fall apart again.
In 1805, people described the church as being about 11 meters (36 feet) long. Including its side aisles, it was about 15 meters (48 feet) wide. The tower was round at the bottom and eight-sided at the top. It held five small bells.
The church was repaired in 1830. But in 1862, the chancel (the part of the church near the altar) was taken down. St Nicholas Church stopped holding regular services around 1864, except for funerals. This was because its parish (the area it served) had joined with another church in the village in 1805.
Sadly, the tower collapsed in 1898 while it was being repaired. It was never rebuilt. During the Second World War, the church was used as a place of worship for German prisoners of war.
In 1973, the church was officially declared "redundant." In 1975, it was given to the Churches Conservation Trust to look after. Today, the Feltwell Historical and Archaeological Society helps care for it. The church still holds two services each year.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
The main part of the church is built from flint stones and bricks. It also has special cut stones called ashlar for decoration. The roofs are covered with slate tiles. The remains of the tower are made from a hard, rocky material called conglomerate. The porch, which is the entrance, is made of brick.
The church has a main area called a nave, with side aisles on the north and south. There's a porch on the south side and what's left of the tower at the west end. The tower remains and the west wall are very old, built in the Anglo-Saxon style. Most of the church you see today is in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in the later Gothic period.
You can see a two-light window (a window with two sections) in the west wall of the south aisle. The porch has a pointed roof (gable) and strong corner supports called buttresses. It also has side windows that are now blocked up.
On the south and east walls of the south aisle, there are more two-light windows. The south wall of the clerestory (the upper part of the nave with windows) has three two-light Perpendicular windows. Next to these windows are six carved panels. These panels have decorative letters and designs. Some might show the initials of church leaders or people who helped the church. Above one panel, there's a special "gleaners' bell."
The large three-light window at the east end of the church was moved here when the chancel was taken down. The north aisle also has windows, including a three-light window in the north wall. Above a doorway in the north wall, there's a plaque from 1830. The windows in the north wall of the clerestory are similar to those on the south side, but without the carved panels.
Inside the Church
When you enter through the porch, you'll see stone benches along each side. To the right of the doorway, there might be the remains of a stoup, which was a basin for holy water. The porch roof inside is fancy, with carved decorations.
Inside the church, there are two rows of arches called arcades. The arches on the south side are from the 1200s and rest on piers (large columns) shaped like four-leaf clovers. The arches on the north side are from the 1400s, and their piers are diamond-shaped.
The large, round arch leading to the tower is very old and built in the Norman style. In the south aisle, there's a piscina, which is a basin used for washing sacred vessels. It has a fancy, five-lobed top. Along the wall of the north aisle, there's a long seat. This was used when the church didn't have other seating.
Also in the north aisle, you can see a stone coffin with a cross carved on its lid. This coffin was found outside the north door in 1830. A piece of a Norman pilaster (a flat column) with zigzag patterns is set into the wall near the altar.
The wooden crucifix on the altar was carved by a German prisoner of war. The font (where baptisms happen) was moved here in the early 1960s from a church in Stanton, Suffolk. The Royal Air Force helped pay for moving it. The pulpit (where sermons are given) was a gift from St Martin's Church in Cambridge around the same time.
The organ, which has one keyboard, was made in London in 1840. It was moved to St Nicholas Church in 1925 from St Mary's Church in the village. It was repaired in 1977.
When the tower collapsed, three of the five bells were too damaged to fix. One of the bells that survived was given to Ely Cathedral. The other bell was sold and is now in St Mark's Church in Gabalfa, Cardiff. In 1970, the clappers (the parts that strike the bells) from the three broken bells were put on display on the west wall of the church.
See also
