Our June meeting took us to Norwich for a guided tour of St. Peter Mancroft church, it is said to be the second largest parish church in the country. Built in the ‘Perpendicular’ style this grand church built to show the wealth of Norwich during the 15th century, at that time Norwich was the second city in England after London. Believed to have been built on the site of a previous Norman church.
The church is light and airy and it is said that there are more windows than stone. The hammerbeam roof is glorious and reminds me of our church of St. Mary’s here in Martham.
In the West End of the church stands the font under an unusual 15th century wooden canopy, the lower section is original the top was restored for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee and would have been highly coloured.
I was also surprised to see a tapestry which had been found in a box many years ago said to have been produced by the weavers who settled here from the low countries in 1573.
There is a connection to St. Nicholas Minster in Gt. Yarmouth, in 1875 when St. Nicholas church was dividing and moving their organ, one of the cases required came from St. Peter Mancroft, as it was said to have been a good match. Unfortunately, this was destroyed in the bombing of WW2.
St. Peter Mancroft and St. Nicholas have the largest number of bells in Norfolk each with a ring of 13 bells. In 1715 it was recorded that St. Peter Mancroft church rang ‘The first True Peal’ in the world and was celebrated 300 years later.
This magnificent church is a testament to the people of Norwich and the wealth that enriched East Anglia in the 15th century.
Following our Guided tour members had the choice of perhaps visiting the Catholic Cathedral or the Plantation Garden.