St Peter’s West Lynn
History
St Peter’s church in West Lynn is a prominent landmark from across the river Ouse, especially when standing on the South Quay in King’s Lynn and admiring a sunset.
West Lynn was often referred to as ‘Old Lynn’ indicating that this may well have been the site of a settlement that predates the main town and South Lynn. For centuries, West Lynn has been connected to King’s Lynn by a passenger ferry. The church registers record various drownings after the ferry capsized in previous times.
Domesday Book does not differentiate between the different Lynn settlements, but does mark out the lands of the principal landholders. Hermer de Ferrers was the landholder in West Lynn. He was a Norman nobleman who took part in the Norman conquest of England and was rewarded by William the Conqueror with various lordships. Prior to the conquest, the land was held by Saxon freemen.
The church originally stood on a site further east, closer to the river, but the building was irreparably damaged by flooding. This is recorded in a charter of Lewes Priory in Sussex, who were the patrons of the living, and which refers to the rebuilding of the church on the present site in 1271.
The church is built in the shape of a cross. The transepts (side arms) held the altars of the various guild chantries associated with the church: St Peter & St Paul, The Blessed Virgin Mary, St Helen, St John the Baptist and St Nicholas. These chantries were endowed to say Masses for departed guild members to help their souls pass through purgatory and reach heaven.
Thomas Wyldebeefe, Rector, was outlawed by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1372, for owing him money. Adam Outlaw, a later rector of the church lies buried under the memorial brass which depicts him. He left a house and two ferry franchises to the church in return for prayers for his soul and those of his family and other benefactors.
In medieval times there were several leper hospitals around the town, including one in West Lynn, as evidenced by the bequest of a will.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the patronage of the church passed into the hands of the Duke of Norfolk and later the Townshend family.
At the time of the reforms of Archbishop Laud, during the reign of Charles I, a chancel screen was installed. It was later removed and placed in All Saints’ Church South Lynn. The pulpit also dates from this period.
During the Civil War, when the town was held by the royalists, the churchyard was used as a battery by the parliamentarian forces besieging the town. The remains of a cannon were found in the churchyard. One of the cannon balls from the siege can be found suspended above the entrance to Hampton Court in Nelson Street, King’s Lynn. The tower of Clifton House also bears the scar from the strike of a cannon ball.
The church, like so many after this time fell into a poor state of repair. The chancel collapsed and the arch was blocked up. An engraving by Ladbrooke of c.1820, shows an elegant, if incongruous, classical portico around a doorway in the east wall.
The gallery at the west end of the church was taken down and re-used in the pews in 1851. Bells were sold and the lead stripped from the roof to help pay for restoration in 1905. The sacramental tradition of the church was revived under Revd J. Bowen 1830-63.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1934, making it one of the last expressions of the gothic revival in Norfolk.
Exterior
The tower dates from the 14th century. The lead-covered spirelet was a later addition, perhaps in the 18th century. The weather-vane is in the form of a cockerel, recalling the cock that crowed when St Peter denied Jesus. On the west side there is a fine window with petal tracery. The tower formerly contained three bells, but now has only one, which bears the inscription: +PETRUS : ADETERNE : DUCAT NOS : PASCUA VITE (Peter leads us to eternal life)
The nave once had a higher pitched roof as can be seen from the outline on the edge of the tower. The windows of the nave and transepts have perpendicular tracery and date from c.1400.
The main entrance is through the north porch. A headless figure at the tower arch is believed to have been set on the corner. In place of the south porch there is now a war memorial vestry built in 1920 while Revd Allnutt was Rector, as denoted by a plaque above the window. The war memorial itself, beside the path, records the names of those from West Lynn who died in the two world wars.
At the end of the nave, is a sanctus bell turret with a small bell. It was formerly rung at the elevation of the host and the chalice during the Mass, to indicate to those not present that Christ had become present in the blessed sacrament, and they should show reverence.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1934. Remains of an earlier building have been incorporated into the walls of the chancel in 1934. They were discovered when digging the foundations and may indicate that remains of the Norman building were incorporated in the building of 1271.
Beside the sacristy there is an old tomb chest of the Awborne family dating from 1624.
The parish hall in the south east corner of the churchyard was formerly the Church School. It was built in 1839 and remained as the school until 1907 when the present County Primary School was built, at the request of the Rector and managers, who were unable to carry on running the school as a voluntary institution.
Interior.
The nave is wide and spanned by a splendid medieval roof. High up appear figures of angels bearing shields with various symbols, such as the instruments of the passion, the keys of St Peter etc. At the wall posts are figures of the apostles, some of whom can be identified by the emblems they carry:
From east to west, north side:
Unidentified saw and scroll
St Peter key
St James the Great pilgrim’s staff
St James the Less fuller’s club
St Simon fish
St Matthew hatchet & purse
St Thomas spear
South side
Unidentified scroll
St Paul sword
St John chalice
St Philip basket and five loaves
St Jude boat
St Andrew scroll
Unidentified scroll
The font, dating from c.1400 is a seven sacrament font, an East Anglian speciality. There are only 40 in the country, 38 of which are in Norfolk and Suffolk. Their purpose was to remind the people of the importance of all seven sacraments and to refute the Lollard heretics who claimed that only two were necessary (the Mass and baptism). The panels depict the seven sacraments and the Holy Trinity. The carved representations are in quite good condition, though there has been some repair in darker cement. The font would have had a locked cover to protect the holy water from being stolen for use in witchcraft. The damage may have occurred at the Reformation when locks were smashed and the holy water removed as it was considered to be a superstitious substance.
The panels show:
East (facing the altar): Baptism: the baby is immersed in the water
North-east: Confirmation: the sacrament is shown being administered to infants, as was then customary
North (facing entrance): Penance: The priest is hearing a confession
North-west: The Mass, the most damaged panel, which attracted the fury of the reformers. The priest at the altar elevates the host.
West (facing tower): The Holy Trinity: God the Father holds the crucified Christ.
South-west: Ordination: the Bishop ordains a priest
South (facing vestry door): Marriage: the priest, in a cope, joins the hands of a couple in holy matrimony.
South-east: Holy Unction: the priest, beside the bed of a sick parishioner, holds his hand while others pray.
The pulpit dates from the Jacobean period (early 17th century)
The pews have an interesting mix of poppyheads, in different forms, both old and more recent.
There are two stalls with misericords, one of which was defaced at the reformation. They may have been in the old chancel, and been used by the clergy, or brought from one of the Lynn monasteries.
The memorial brass on the floor commemorates Adam Outlawe, Rector. He wears Mass vestments. The inscription reads: ORATE P AIIA DNI ADE OUTLAWE CAPPELLANI QUI OBIT SECUNDO DIE MENSIS AUGUSTI ANNO DN MILLESIMO CCCCC TERCIO CUI AIE P’PICIET DE’ AME (Pray for the soul of Adam Outlawe, chaplain, who died the second day of August, 1503, on whose soul may God have mercy. Amen)
There are several other memorial stones in the floor and tablets on the walls that commemorate former rectors and other residents.
That statue of St Peter is by Anton Wagner.
The north transept: is the Lady Chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is a squint which gives a view of the high altar, which enabled those in the chapel to see the elevation of the host during the Mass.
The south transept is filled by the organ, which for a time was used as a temporary organ in the Minster. It was formerly powered by an organ blower, several of whom have left their mark in graffiti on the organ case.
Chancel
The reredos and altar, are by Dagless of Walsingham, the reredos has these figures:
St Nicholas: patron saint of fishermen
St Peter: with papal tiara and keys
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Christ crucified on the tree of life.
St John, the beloved disciple
St Thomas of Canterbury with a sword and pastoral cross
St George killing the dragon
The stained glass window by William Jay Bolton dates from 1849, and is a memorial to Amelia Walker of North Lynn. It represent the three Marys at the empty tomb of Christ on Easter Day. The window was moved from the blocked chancel arch to the new chancel. Bolton was the restorer of the stained glass of King’s College Chapel and this window was inspired by one in the chapel. This is his only substantial work in this country and was produced after his masterpiece, the stained glass of Holy Trinity, Brooklyn, New York.
St Peter’s West Lynn
History
St Peter’s church in West Lynn is a prominent landmark from across the river Ouse, especially when standing on the South Quay in King’s Lynn and admiring a sunset.
West Lynn was often referred to as ‘Old Lynn’ indicating that this may well have been the site of a settlement that predates the main town and South Lynn. For centuries, West Lynn has been connected to King’s Lynn by a passenger ferry. The church registers record various drownings after the ferry capsized in previous times.
Domesday Book does not differentiate between the different Lynn settlements, but does mark out the lands of the principal landholders. Hermer de Ferrers was the landholder in West Lynn. He was a Norman nobleman who took part in the Norman conquest of England and was rewarded by William the Conqueror with various lordships. Prior to the conquest, the land was held by Saxon freemen.
The church originally stood on a site further east, closer to the river, but the building was irreparably damaged by flooding. This is recorded in a charter of Lewes Priory in Sussex, who were the patrons of the living, and which refers to the rebuilding of the church on the present site in 1271.
The church is built in the shape of a cross. The transepts (side arms) held the altars of the various guild chantries associated with the church: St Peter & St Paul, The Blessed Virgin Mary, St Helen, St John the Baptist and St Nicholas. These chantries were endowed to say Masses for departed guild members to help their souls pass through purgatory and reach heaven.
Thomas Wyldebeefe, Rector, was outlawed by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1372, for owing him money. Adam Outlaw, a later rector of the church lies buried under the memorial brass which depicts him. He left a house and two ferry franchises to the church in return for prayers for his soul and those of his family and other benefactors.
In medieval times there were several leper hospitals around the town, including one in West Lynn, as evidenced by the bequest of a will.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the patronage of the church passed into the hands of the Duke of Norfolk and later the Townshend family.
At the time of the reforms of Archbishop Laud, during the reign of Charles I, a chancel screen was installed. It was later removed and placed in All Saints’ Church South Lynn. The pulpit also dates from this period.
During the Civil War, when the town was held by the royalists, the churchyard was used as a battery by the parliamentarian forces besieging the town. The remains of a cannon were found in the churchyard. One of the cannon balls from the siege can be found suspended above the entrance to Hampton Court in Nelson Street, King’s Lynn. The tower of Clifton House also bears the scar from the strike of a cannon ball.
The church, like so many after this time fell into a poor state of repair. The chancel collapsed and the arch was blocked up. An engraving by Ladbrooke of c.1820, shows an elegant, if incongruous, classical portico around a doorway in the east wall.
The gallery at the west end of the church was taken down and re-used in the pews in 1851. Bells were sold and the lead stripped from the roof to help pay for restoration in 1905. The sacramental tradition of the church was revived under Revd J. Bowen 1830-63.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1934, making it one of the last expressions of the gothic revival in Norfolk.
Exterior
The tower dates from the 14th century. The lead-covered spirelet was a later addition, perhaps in the 18th century. The weather-vane is in the form of a cockerel, recalling the cock that crowed when St Peter denied Jesus. On the west side there is a fine window with petal tracery. The tower formerly contained three bells, but now has only one, which bears the inscription: +PETRUS : ADETERNE : DUCAT NOS : PASCUA VITE (Peter leads us to eternal life)
The nave once had a higher pitched roof as can be seen from the outline on the edge of the tower. The windows of the nave and transepts have perpendicular tracery and date from c.1400.
The main entrance is through the north porch. A headless figure at the tower arch is believed to have been set on the corner. In place of the south porch there is now a war memorial vestry built in 1920 while Revd Allnutt was Rector, as denoted by a plaque above the window. The war memorial itself, beside the path, records the names of those from West Lynn who died in the two world wars.
At the end of the nave, is a sanctus bell turret with a small bell. It was formerly rung at the elevation of the host and the chalice during the Mass, to indicate to those not present that Christ had become present in the blessed sacrament, and they should show reverence.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1934. Remains of an earlier building have been incorporated into the walls of the chancel in 1934. They were discovered when digging the foundations and may indicate that remains of the Norman building were incorporated in the building of 1271.
Beside the sacristy there is an old tomb chest of the Awborne family dating from 1624.
The parish hall in the south east corner of the churchyard was formerly the Church School. It was built in 1839 and remained as the school until 1907 when the present County Primary School was built, at the request of the Rector and managers, who were unable to carry on running the school as a voluntary institution.
Interior.
The nave is wide and spanned by a splendid medieval roof. High up appear figures of angels bearing shields with various symbols, such as the instruments of the passion, the keys of St Peter etc. At the wall posts are figures of the apostles, some of whom can be identified by the emblems they carry:
From east to west, north side:
Unidentified saw and scroll
St Peter key
St James the Great pilgrim’s staff
St James the Less fuller’s club
St Simon fish
St Matthew hatchet & purse
St Thomas spear
South side
Unidentified scroll
St Paul sword
St John chalice
St Philip basket and five loaves
St Jude boat
St Andrew scroll
Unidentified scroll
The font, dating from c.1400 is a seven sacrament font, an East Anglian speciality. There are only 40 in the country, 38 of which are in Norfolk and Suffolk. Their purpose was to remind the people of the importance of all seven sacraments and to refute the Lollard heretics who claimed that only two were necessary (the Mass and baptism). The panels depict the seven sacraments and the Holy Trinity. The carved representations are in quite good condition, though there has been some repair in darker cement. The font would have had a locked cover to protect the holy water from being stolen for use in witchcraft. The damage may have occurred at the Reformation when locks were smashed and the holy water removed as it was considered to be a superstitious substance.
The panels show:
East (facing the altar): Baptism: the baby is immersed in the water
North-east: Confirmation: the sacrament is shown being administered to infants, as was then customary
North (facing entrance): Penance: The priest is hearing a confession
North-west: The Mass, the most damaged panel, which attracted the fury of the reformers. The priest at the altar elevates the host.
West (facing tower): The Holy Trinity: God the Father holds the crucified Christ.
South-west: Ordination: the Bishop ordains a priest
South (facing vestry door): Marriage: the priest, in a cope, joins the hands of a couple in holy matrimony.
South-east: Holy Unction: the priest, beside the bed of a sick parishioner, holds his hand while others pray.
The pulpit dates from the Jacobean period (early 17th century)
The pews have an interesting mix of poppyheads, in different forms, both old and more recent.
There are two stalls with misericords, one of which was defaced at the reformation. They may have been in the old chancel, and been used by the clergy, or brought from one of the Lynn monasteries.
The memorial brass on the floor commemorates Adam Outlawe, Rector. He wears Mass vestments. The inscription reads: ORATE P AIIA DNI ADE OUTLAWE CAPPELLANI QUI OBIT SECUNDO DIE MENSIS AUGUSTI ANNO DN MILLESIMO CCCCC TERCIO CUI AIE P’PICIET DE’ AME (Pray for the soul of Adam Outlawe, chaplain, who died the second day of August, 1503, on whose soul may God have mercy. Amen)
There are several other memorial stones in the floor and tablets on the walls that commemorate former rectors and other residents.
That statue of St Peter is by Anton Wagner.
The north transept: is the Lady Chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is a squint which gives a view of the high altar, which enabled those in the chapel to see the elevation of the host during the Mass.
The south transept is filled by the organ, which for a time was used as a temporary organ in the Minster. It was formerly powered by an organ blower, several of whom have left their mark in graffiti on the organ case.
Chancel
The reredos and altar, are by Dagless of Walsingham, the reredos has these figures:
St Nicholas: patron saint of fishermen
St Peter: with papal tiara and keys
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Christ crucified on the tree of life.
St John, the beloved disciple
St Thomas of Canterbury with a sword and pastoral cross
St George killing the dragon
The stained glass window by William Jay Bolton dates from 1849, and is a memorial to Amelia Walker of North Lynn. It represent the three Marys at the empty tomb of Christ on Easter Day. The window was moved from the blocked chancel arch to the new chancel. Bolton was the restorer of the stained glass of King’s College Chapel and this window was inspired by one in the chapel. This is his only substantial work in this country and was produced after his masterpiece, the stained glass of Holy Trinity, Brooklyn, New York.