About Us
St Bart's (St Bartholomew, one of Jesus' 12 Apostles) is open daily for prayer, reflection, and historic interest.
A 'PARISH CHURCH' like ours in the Church of England is a spiritual venue, a sacred space for all parishioners - wherever a person might identify themselves on the spectrum of faith or understanding of life. Every resident has a civic right to access their parish church not only for quiet reflection, prayers, and historic interest, but also to mark the 'seasons of life' including the celebration of a new arrival (CHRISTENING - a Christian service of blessing and thanksgiving), WEDDINGS (for people of any faith and including divorcees), and FUNERALS in church, or with the Vicar (Rector / parish priest) at a crematorium chapel, including for people who considered themselves 'not particularly religious' - many people today are 'spiritual but not religious' or might believe in 'Something' in life without wanting to give it a name; we are here for you, we are here for everyone. Contact the Upper Wensum Benefice (local parish / village grouping) Rector, the Reverend Robin Stapleford, at the 'Get in touch' tab on the left-hand column for more information or specific enquiry.
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The building (click HERE) is Grade 1 listed owing to faint traces of medieval wall paint, such as a St Christopher, for safe travelling.
There is a small crypt beneath the altar, which was used as an overnight prison cell for convicts taking the two day walk from Lynn to Norwich Castle and possibly the gallows. The gaoler meanwhile stayed in a one-up, one-down cottage that still stands in the village. It is an attractive idea to suppose that pre-Reformation the Cell might have been used for a more uplifting purpose - as an Anchorite prayer closet.
The church also features triple-decker pulpit, medieval bench pews, and contemporary spiral design light fittings and votive candle stand - representing the spiral shape of the upper Wensum River from which our Benefice (local Parish Church group) takes its name.
For a small village - of about 300 - the church is tall and grand, which might reflect its historic strategic location at the half way point on the original main road, the most direct route, between Norwich and Lynn.