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Sheringham Norfolk
England UK |
Sheringham
Norfolk
England UK
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| ST PETER'S CHURCH -
SHERINGHAM NORFOLK UK |
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Services
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| Sunday:
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8am Holy Communion |
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10am Parish Communion with
Junior Church |
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6.30pm Evensong
On the first Sunday each month there is an informal service at 10am with Matins at 11am
and we join St Andrew's for Evening Service.
Every fifth Sunday there is a Healing Service at 6.30pm |
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History
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Sheringham we see today is a relatively recent creation, the result of the arrival of the
railway line in 1887, at just the time that sea bathing was becoming popular. It meant
that North Norfolk was no longer as remote from major population centres as before, with
large numbers of people able to come here for their holidays (London was only just over 3
hours away by train – as now!). What had formerly been a small fishing outpost of
Upper Sheringham developed into a holiday resort for the middle-classes, just as the crab
industry was collapsing due to over-fishing, and farming was entering a recession. A
building boom got underway, with hotels and boarding houses constructed, and a golf links
laid out. The once quiet High
Street became a bustling centre, as new shops and businesses were set up to cater for the
needs of the changing population. The local landowners, the Upchers of Upper Sheringham,
owned most of the land, and following the slump in agriculture, decided that a better
financial return would be derived from selling plots off for development. This new
expansion was to include a new church to cater for the spiritual needs of the much
increased (and still growing) population.
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By
Norfolk standards St Peter’s is a very recent creation. In a region graced by so many
medieval churches, it is rare to find one from the Victorian era, but just as with many of
those churches, St Peter’s came about through the generosity of a local family, the
Upchers. They took their responsibilities for the local community seriously, and
provided a school, helped the local fishermen and labourers and their families, provided
and supported a lifeboat and encouraged the development of (Lower) Sheringham. |
It was as a result of their efforts that in 1842 a Chapel of Ease was built, which a few
years later was enlarged to allow the seating of about 500 people. Services finished in
1897 with the opening of St Peter’s, the former chapel continuing to be used as a
church hall until the Parish Hall in Waterbank Road was opened in 1956. The old chapel was
eventually demolished in March 1969 making way for a modern block of flats, Temple Court. |
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The
Upchers donated the land on which the church is built, and also contributed generously to
the cost of the building itself, which was designed by St Aubyn and Wadling of London and
built by Bardell Bros. of Kings Lynn. It was on St Peter’s Day 1895 that the
foundation stone was laid by Mrs Upcher, and the building was consecrated exactly two
years later, on St Peter’s Day, 29th June 1897. Whilst it was being built,
new houses were also going up on nearby plots, sold by the Upchers in response to the new
demand for land.The church is of red brick, faced with knapped flints, and roofed with
slates. There are crosses on east and west gables, and a figure of St Peter in the niche
over the outer doorway of the south porch worked by a local stonemason. |
The building cost £8000 and could supposedly seat more than 700. Additions and
improvements were made over the years: in 1910, the choir and clergy vestries on the north
side were built; in 1928, the reredos (the decorated wooden screen behind the altar) was
added; in 1930, the north and south sides of the chancel were panelled in oak; in 1931-2,
the low screens at the top of the chancel steps were added; and in 1933, the Chapel of the
Holy Spirit was dedicated.St
Peter’s was built as the daughter church of All Saints, Upper Sheringham, and it
wasn’t until 1953 that it became the Parish Church of Sheringham following a boundary
change when All Saints became linked with Weybourne.
The overall impression on entering St
Peter’s is one of enormous spaciousness and light, with the wide nave extending into
the side aisles. It has never had pews (many of the chairs still in use today were made in
the local workhouse from trees, which grew on the Upcher estate) and this adds to the
sense of space.
The interior is bold in design, an
impression generated by the ridge of the roof, which is carried in one continuo line
throughout from east to west, with the roof of the chancel being the same height as that
of the nave. There is a plain stone font, and the pulpit and lectern are made from oak, a
theme continued in the chancel with its richly carved woodwork. The floor of the nave is
of oak blocks and the chancel and porches have splendid mosaic floors.
Above the altar the story of the
Ascension is depicted in stained glass, whilst in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit are
windows showing the Transfiguration, the Baptism of Christ, and the Garden of Gethsemane.
Along the south aisle are windows of St Peter, St George, St Andrew, St David and St
Patrick, together with a very fine carving of St Peter. On the north side are windows of
the four Evangelists, and at the west end are stained glass windows representing Baptism,
Communion, Confirmation and Marriage.
In the Baptistery, on either side of the
font, the wooden cupboards contain the electronic bells and the kitchen facilities, all
cleverly blended into the fabric of the building. The organ was built by Bishop and son of
Ipswich and installed in 1899. Over the years various improvements were made, culminating
in a complete rebuilding in 1986. It is a very fine instrument, and together with the
excellent acoustics, means that St Peter’s is one of the most sought after concert
venues in North Norfolk. In addition to the many baptisms, weddings and funerals that take
place, the church is much in demand for recitals, and is very much a community building.
The two pictures of the church are taken
from the original architectural drawings. |
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