In the first of a series of features exploring different aspects of Heritage Open Days 2005, Jayna Makwana explores some of the city's religious buildings opening their doors between September 8 and 11, 2005.
Amidst an abundance of architectural treasures, Norwich boasts a wealth of churches, 32 in total, each fascinating and unique in its own way. During Heritage Open Days, September 8 – 11 2005, the people of Norwich and the surrounding areas will be granted the opportunity to explore approximately 30 of them.
This initiative is part of a themed event within Heritage Open Days called Heritage and Belief, which aims to get as many of the city’s medieval churches (Norwich has the largest collection of medieval churches in Northern Europe) open as possible.
Not only will this event provide access to churches but also to buildings of other faiths such as meeting houses, chapels, the local synagogue and the buildings of other denominations.
Prior to the event I decided to take a sneak preview of some of the venues on offer and provide you with a trail of some of the most fascinating churches and buildings of belief that Norwich houses. So it was on with my walking shoes (to tackle the narrow cobbled lanes) and off with my mobile phone (or at least on silent – to avoid interrupting a service) and out into Norwich to discover a rich ecclesiastical and religious heritage.
My first stop was St Andrews and Blackfriars Hall on St Andrews Street. Originally the nave and chancel of the great church of the Dominican Blackfriars, a fire destroyed the original church in 1413 and Sir Thomas Erpingham paid for most of the rebuilding. Today his coat of arms can be seen between the clerestory windows.
When the monasteries were dissolved in 1540 Norwich Corporation bought the church from Henry VIII for £223 to ‘make the churche a fayer and large halle, well pathed, for the mayor and his bretheren…for their common assemblyes…’
They have been used for this purpose ever since. Today they are the venue for public occasions, festivals, exhibitions and concerts such as the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, which started in 1824. More recently the halls are the venue for the largest regional Beer Festival in Great Britain, which started in 1978.
It is a magnificent building filled with the biggest collection of Civic Portraits in the country. There are 127, ranging from the 16th to the early 19th century. When I visited I was lucky enough to have the hall to myself, but somehow I didn’t feel alone.
Burning the back of my head was a collective gaze of hundreds of pairs of eyes that seemed to follow me around the great hall. Not only would these great figures have seen some amazing things whilst alive but it feels like they still bear witness to the events that go on in the hall today. I suspect that drunken wedding receptions keep the men trapped in these portraits amused!
The combination of a magnificent ceiling, beautiful stained glass windows, and a massive organ that has 2967 pipes, which interestingly enough dried out due to the installation of the central heating system and was rebuilt in 1984, also make St Andrews Hall an interestingly breathtaking building.
The cloisters provide a reception and display area and provide the space for weekly antique and craft markets. During my visit the cloisters housed an exhibition of second year student work from Norwich School of Art situated across the road. The modern art combined beautifully with the ancient décor of the building.
Both Blackfriars and St Andrews Halls will be open during the Heritage Open Days for people to experience the peering eyes for themselves, along with its own café called The Crypt serving refreshments.
My next port of call was The Unitarian Octagon Chapel, Colegate; from the name one would presume - correctly - that the building is the shape of an octagon.
The congregation dates back from the Act of Uniformity in 1662 when the vicar of St Stephens (another church in Norwich) left the Church of England to found a more democratic church. The present building was completed in 1756 when the group wished for an elegant and modern building as a place of free religious worship. Its members included former mayors of Norwich.
Today the Octagon Chapel provides a social space for children to play in, aimed particularly at parents who are on a budget. It also hosts Octagon concerts where all proceeds go to charity, along with a regular after service social hour.
During Heritage Open Days the Octagon Chapel will be open for people to view the interior and enjoy the brightly coloured exterior surrounded by flowers.
Leaving the Octagon Hall behind I moved across town to perhaps my favourite church in Norwich; the Church of St Julian, King Street. A must see during the Heritage Open Days, this beautifully quaint church is famous for being the site of the 14th century cell of Mother Julian of Norwich. She became an Anchoress (religious recluse) and wrote the first book to be written in English by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love.
She spent her life in the cell where she had three windows: one to look out onto the busy street, one to watch regular services and another that overlooked the gardens where people could approach the window to talk to her.
The cell is not like a cell at all. It is kept warm through the constant burning of candles and I could feel Mother Julian’s warmth and compassion through this heat. Her devotion to her faith is completely unimaginable today to the extent where she would imprison herself for the duty of her religion.
The church really is a remarkable place to visit; even though it is small it is huge in personality and ambience.
It became apparent as I toured the city that many of the churches have been put to innovative use, such as the Norwich Arts Centre, St Benedicts Street. This is situated within St Swithin Church, and the venue hosts a variety of displays, exhibitions and live music. The centre will be showcasing their current work during the Heritage Open days.
Another church put to valuable community use is St Michael of Coslany, Coslany Street, which homes the science project cum musem called [Inspire|. It aims to promote the enjoyment and discovery of science by all members of the community.
The conversion of the church has left the majority of the building’s original features, such as the spectacular 18th century memorials, accessible to the public while giving the building a new lease of life as an active venue for public use.
One will find many churches around the city that have been put to cultural and community use during the Heritage Open Days.
The Synagogue, Earlham Road, provides not just a service by a rabbi, but offers a variety of events such as Shabbat lunches, social evenings and book club meetings. They also celebrate major festivals and religious ceremonies.
The history of the Jewish community in Norwich dates back to the Middle Ages. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, William the Conqueror encouraged Jewish merchants and artisans from Northern France to move to England and by the mid 12th century there was a settled community of Jews in Norwich. It was the largest Jewish community in England at the time.
The synagogue is paramount to the Jewish community of Norwich and will be rightly celebrated during the Heritage Open Days.
Norwich boasts a diversity of faith such as non-conformist, Jewish, Catholic to non-religious groups. This is not a new phenomenon in the city; different social and religious groups have been situated in Norwich for hundreds of years, apparent from the various religious buildings I had the opportunity to visit.
By the end of the day I was worn out and my feet were tired but I had an enjoyable and educational experience. Just be prepared to stagger your church visits throughout the four days of the Heritage Open Days.
Jayna Makwana is the 24 Hour Museum/Norwich HEART Student Writer in Norwich. Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust is the groundbreaking initiative to regenerate, manage and promote one of the most remarkable heritage resources in the UK and in Europe.
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