St Mary's Church is the parish church of

Holme-next-the-Sea Holme-next-the-Sea is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Holme-next-the-Sea is located north-east of Hunstanton and north-west of Norwich. History Holme-next-the-Sea's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives f ...

in the English

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. It is dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. The church is partly early 15th-century

Perpendicular In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', � ...

, and partly later reconstruction. It is

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

History

The earliest record of a church in Holme-next-the-Sea is in 1188, but nothing is known of this building. It was rebuilt in the

Perpendicular style Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-ce ...

in the early 15th century by Henry of Nottingham, an

assize The assizes (), or courts of assize, were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes ex ...

judge during the reign of Henry IV. Of Henry's church, only the tower and the rebuilt

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

survive. His church also included north and south aisles, and the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

extended as far west as the westernmost end of the tower. By the late 18th century the church had fallen into disrepair and a

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government of a parish in England, Wales and some English colony, English colonies. At their height, the vestries were the only form of local government in many places and spen ...

meeting in 1777 resolved to demolish the remains of the nave and aisles. The following year the 3-bay nave was rebuilt and the chancel repaired, using materials from the aisles. The chancel was restored again in the 1880s. Henry of Nottingham's 76 ft 6 inches tower dominates the entrance to the church. The 4-storey tower is squared and knapped flint with stone dressings. It is topped with 4 stone spirelet finials.

Features

The chancel arch is Perpendicular. There is a simple Decorated 3 arch

sedilia In church architecture, sedilia (plural of Latin ''sedīle'', "seat") are seats, typically made of stone, located on the liturgical south side of the altar—often within the chancel—intended for use by the officiating priest, deacon, an ...

with columns, and a double-arched

piscina A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Lutherans and Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a pisci ...

from 1300 on the south side of the chancel. Also on the south side of the chancel is an alabaster wall monument to Richard and Clemens Stone with kneeling figures, dating from 1607 but relocated to its present position in 1778. There is also a

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

to Henry of Nottingham and his wife in the chancel. The stone pulpit and font are late Victorian; the only

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

window is a 3-light west window from 1888 by Jane Nelson, in memory of her husband Matthew, depicting the

Virtues A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is valued as an end purpose of life or a foundational pri ...

Faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

Charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

and

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

. There are two sets of Hannoverian coats of arms, one painted and one wooden.

Bells

The tower houses a

peal In campanology (bell ringing), a peal is the special name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing which meets certain exacting conditions for duration, complexity and quality. The definition of a peal has changed considerably ...

of five bells, within a frame dating from 1868 by John Taylor of Loughborough. The bells are by Edward Tooke from 1677, Joseph Mallows from 1754, Thomas Newman from 1720 and 1740 and John Taylor from 1868. There is a statue of Our Lady, carved by

Esmond Burton Esmond can refer to: People * Annie Esmond (1873–1945), British film actress * Burton D. Esmond (1870–1944), American lawyer, politician * Carl Esmond (1902–2004), Austrian actor * Esmond Moses (born 1974), Micronesian politician * Henry V. ...

in 1961.

War memorials

The village war memorial is located within the churchyard; it is

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

. It comprises a stone, Latin cross fleurée with a tall shaft and moulded foot. There is a roll of honour inside the church.

Organ

The first recorded organ was a

reed organ The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...

; this was replaced by an undated organ by the

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

organ builder Samuel Street (active 1840–1883). In 1937 it was removed and reinstalled at St Peter's Church, Smallburgh, where it remains. Its replacement was a

house organ A house organ (also variously known an in-house magazine, in-house publication, house journal, shop paper, plant paper, or employee magazine) is a magazine or periodical published by a company or organization for its customers, employees, union ...

, built in 1894 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd for Holme House. The Walker organ is located on the north side of the chancel; an electric blower was installed in 1946.

Clergy

Records are extant from 1241. In 1398 the

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary (Catholic Church), ordinary of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Norwich, Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. Th ...

Henry le Despenser Henry le Despenser ( 1341 – 23 August 1406) was an English nobleman and Bishop of Norwich whose reputation as the 'Fighting Bishop' was gained for his part in suppressing the Peasants' Revolt in East Anglia and in defeating the peasants at th ...

, appointed the Rectory to

Lilleshall Abbey Lilleshall Abbey was an Augustinians, Augustinian abbey in Shropshire, England, today located north of Telford. It was founded between 1145 and 1148 and followed the austere customs and observance of the Arrouaise, Abbey of Arrouaise in northe ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

. The incumbent was Rector until the 17th-century, then Vicars until 1995, and Rector since 1995. *1241 William de Tregos *1299 Richard de Roulesham *1301 William de Morton *1308 William Godram *1317 Paul de Sudbury *1324 Thomas Stywerd *1330 Adam Popey *1331 John Trillow *1369 William Ellerton *1369 John Scarle *1379 Alexander de Massingham *1398 Robert de Pychford *1410 John Grey *1417 John Hachard *1451 Roger Burney *1483 John Lye *1493 John Banys *1504 Edward Lye *1507 William Brook *1511 William Hempton *1539 Lanc Southeke *1573 Richard Todd *1604 William Ready *1609 James Pilkington *1611 James Smyth *1629-1631 Christopher Fisher *1633-1670 John Parvish *1670-1675 John May *1675-1704 John Hodson *1704-1736 William Cremer *1736-1761 Archibald Ker *1761-1794 Edward Castleton Succeeded his nephew as the eleventh

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1788. *1796-1846 Charles Sutton, D.D. *1846-1876 Nicholas Raven *1876-1886 Edward Ewen, M.A. *1886-1891 Charles Elrington Browne *1891-1894 John Church Francis Hare, M.A. *1894-1909 Corbet Metcalfe Moore, B.A. *1909-1920 Canon Alexander Mackintosh, M.A. *1920-1928 George Hunt Holley, M.A. *1928 Arthur John Andrews *1936 William Stanley Harper, B.D. D.D. *1952-1966 John Edward Large, M.A. *1966-1974 Geoffrey Horace Muzio, M.A.''Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1973-1974'', 85th Edition, p 685. *1975-1985 Paul Irvine Allton, B.A. *1986-1993 Michael Bowers Sexton, M.A. Hon. Canon. *1994-2008 Lawrence Henry Campbell, M.A. R.N. *2009-2014 Christopher David Wood, M.A. *2014-2019 Susan Bowden-Pickstock, B.A. B.Th *2019 Rachael Dines B.Ed. (Hons) PG Dip. Th.M.

References

{{coord, 52.9611, 0.5401, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title

Church of England church buildings in Norfolk