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St Stephen’s Church, in Norwich, Norfolk is a designated Grade 1 listed building,[1] and an active Anglican church in the diocese of Norwich.[2] The church is first documented in a 12th-century royal charter, bestowing endowments on the Benedictine monks of Norwich Cathedral in return for providing a parish priest for St Stephen’s.[3]
Major rebuilding work was undertaken during the early 16th century. The chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy. was re-built in about 1522, and the naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety. was re-built in 1547;[3] the 16th-century tower was remodelled in 1601.[1]
Architecture
St Stephens, Norwich
St Stephen’s is constructed of flint with stone and brick dressings; the east and west walls are faced with ashlarMasonry of squared and finely cut or worked stone, commonly used for the facing of a building..[1] The tower – “the church’s dominating & distinguishing feature” – is built as an upward extension of the north porch, which is the main entrance.[3]
The hammer-beam roofStructural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof. has pierced spandrelsRoughly triangular space above and on either side of an arch. and long wall-posts supported on corbelsStructural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent load.. The early 16th-century stained glass in the east window came from the German monastery of Mariawald.[1] It was one of the few of the church’s windows to survive the bombing of the Second World War, as it had been removed for safekeeping.[3]
Organ
The organ was installed by T. C. Lewis in 1869, in the North transeptPart of a Christian church crossing the area between the nave and the chancel, forming a characteristic cruciform shape. chapel, and was moved to its current location in the Lady Chapel in 1887. The National Pipe Organ Register lists it as being in a bad state of repair as at 2024.[4]