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St John's church is situated at the junction of Ber Street and Finkelgate in Norwich. Ber Street is a Roman Road, and once was known as 'blood and gutts' street due to the high concentration of butchers and slaughterhouses. A church has stood on this site since before the Norman Conquest and its original dedication was to St John the Baptist. The church was dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre in 1096, and was used for worship. The church became redundant in 1984, but was then used by an Eastern Orthodox congregation between 1986 to 2009. It was called St John the Theologian during that time. Sadly, the church is currently unused.
The well-proportioned, ninety-foot high tower has a crisp silhouette with each 'stage' stepping back from the one below. The elegant 'flushwork' parapet and corner pinnacles are from 1901, but the clock face is much earlier eighteenth century. The weather-cock commemorates the Peace of Utrecht in 1713. At some time in the past the corner of the chancel was chopped back to allow for heavy market traffic, and a massive brick arch at the end of the nave, above the chancel roof, was built to reduce the weight on the chancel arch inside.
The entrance on the north side has a two-storey porch with two friezes of shields over the doorway, above which is an elaborate niche for a statue. The porch flintwork is 'knapped and squared' with the corner pinnacles starting below the roof line. The stair turret to the 'parvise' (upper room) blocks the window jamb, as if it were an afterthought.
The porch has a fine vaulted ceiling and carved medieval inner door which leads to the nave. This is a light and lofty space, where mock arches frame the windows and connect the walls visually to the fine timber-framed roof overhead.
On entering, the two transepts are marked by tall, narrow arches with the narrow recess, south of the tower arch, which was for storing the staves on which processional banners were carried through the streets.
During the Reformation the church's stained glass windows were replaced by clear glass, the rood screen was sold and the wallpaintings were whitewashed.
The original East Anglian-style 15th century font with carved lions grouped around its stem is still in place. The maker of the font has had fun carving the lions! The wide, tall chancel arch appears to have been designed to relate to a higher chancel roof. Its sides have been cut out to accommodate the original medieval screen.
In the 19th century the church was restored in medieval style and the chancel screen and east window date from this time. The chancel, hidden by a curtain, has a steeply pitched roof. It contains several interesting wall monuments and a medieval consecration cross on the south wall.
Sadly, there is no public access to the church at this time, however it may be open as part of heritage open days.
If anybody would like to expand this series, please could you let sadexploration know first, so that he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication. Thanks!
!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO FOOTPADUK FOR FTF !!!
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