Friends of Wiveton Church
To God be the Glory!
It took four years…
Catastrophe!
In 2019 a large medieval roof timber collapsed on to the altar and the church was closed for several months for investigations. These showed that the whole of the chancel roof (the eastern part of the church) needed urgent repairs.
The Friends of Wiveton Church managed to raise more than £70,000 – with a further £20,000 coming from a crowdfund backed by ‘Normal for Norfolk’ television star Desmond MacCarthy and ceramics designer Emma Bridgewater.
The church received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as grants from the Norfolk Churches Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, All Churches Trust, and the Geoffrey Watling Charity.
King Charles also supported the project when he attended a fundraiser event put on by Music in Country Churches at St Margaret’s Church, in Cley, in 2022.
In November 2023 the work was finally completed and the church is fully functional again.
Anthea de Loynes, chair of The Friends of Wiveton Church, said everyone is “delighted” to finally reopen the church.
“It seemed like a hill we were never going to get to the top of when it all happened in 2019,” she said.
“It’s a special church in a unique position on the banks of the Glaven. It’s a beautiful church and one that’s loved by so many people far and wide.
We’ve secured the church not only for ourselves but for future generations. That was the task we set ourselves, so it’s wonderful what we’ve achieved – especially when there are so many churches closing across the country.
We live in an area where we’re lucky to have people who care so deeply about churches, especially here in north Norfolk.”
Norfolk has the largest group of medieval churches in the world, an important historical legacy for future generations. These beautiful buildings, of which St Mary’s, Wiveton is a lovely example, contain a wide range of art and craftsmanship. St Mary’s is a fine example of the Perpendicular style.
The nave, constructed in 1437, supported by elegant slender columns attributed to the master mason known as the Wiveton Master, rises to arcades and a clerestory and an arch-braced roof in the nave and flanking aisles. It is a tall, open and remarkably calming space, especially when flooded with clear Norfolk light.
St Mary’s is in a beautiful position in the heart of the village on Wiveton green and beside the bank of the River Glaven in North Norfolk. While it has always been and remains a place of worship and for quiet contemplation, it has become increasingly popular for community and cultural events, many of which are planned for the coming months.
The Friends of Wiveton Church was formed about ten years ago, since when it has raised many thousands of pounds for the preservation of the fabric of the beautiful Grade 1 Listed medieval Church of St Mary Wiveton.
The emphasis of all our fundraising is to entertain, inform and educate participants and bring the village together, while at the same time having fun.
