A History of the Church

Welcome

This Church rewards close and careful inspection- the elegant Tudor windowswith clear glass and the intricate and delicate patterns on the framing dated from 1300.

Gimingham Parish Church is dedicated to All Saints. It nestles in the heart of the quiet village in a setting surrounded by the rolling agricultural fields of Cargill Farm. Giving Gimingham a much bigger footprint than it might first appear, it even has its own piece of coastline and sandy beach!

The church has been part of the Trunch group of parishes since 1965 the rector is Reverent doctor Sally Myers who is supported by a team of voluntary clergy throughout these parishes.

Gimingham hosts the Sunday Morning Holy Communion service at 930 am on the fifth Sunday of the month.

The History of All Saints

There was an earlier church on the site of the present one. Signs of early Anglo-Saxon quoins can be seen in the east wall of the chancel.

The chancel dates from the early 14th century.

The church is almost entirely built from un-knapped flint although there are some squared flints in the entrance porch.

Some buttresses and arches are of brick construction.

The porch has two storeys and was incorporated into a much older original porch.

The room on the first floor is known as a paravise. This room was used in the past by priests who had travelled some distance to get to the church. It also may have been used in the past as part of the wedding service, with guests waiting there while the groom and bride exchanged their vows in the porch.

The nave dates from the 15th century and was re-roofed around 1950.

The font dates from the 15th century and has a traceried stem and blank arches with quatrefoils on the bowl. 

The Bells

The battlemented tower is also 15th century. The belfry holds a ring of five bells. The original three bells were rehung and retuned in 1990. In 1992 the three bells were augmented to five by the addition of two lighter bells, cast in 1889 by Mears & Stainbank, which were relocated from Gosport. The tenor weighs 8cwt 1qtr 25lbs and is tuned to 'Ab. The work was undertaken by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd. The bells are in working order and rung occasionally by visiting ringers.

Annual Festivals

All Saints Gimingham is renowned locally, and as far away as Germany! for its annual late summer FLOWER FESTIVAL. A busy weekend of events in the church yard to accompany the glorious displays of flowers that are designed around a specific theme each year.

At the end of December it’s time for the annual CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL a winter celebration to start your countdown to the 'real' reason for the season! This time it’s best to come after the sun sets to fully appreciate the trees lit in all their glory amidst the beautiful and traditional surroundings of All Saints.

The much anticipated annual CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE sees the church filled to capacity, many villagers see this service as the start of their Christmas celebrations.

Flowers 

From January, the church yard is literally carpeted white with “the fair maids of February “ a beautiful display of SNOWDROPS everywhere heralding the promise of spring being just around the corner.