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Our Church (a very brief history)

Stand outside and look at the left-hand side of the church building or stand inside the sanctuary and look around you will see that it is an unusual shape it has eight sides making it an octagon. This shape was the brainchild of the architect Clifford H Dann (see photo) in the late 1960’s together with other innovations such as padded pews and good acoustics. It is thanks to Mrs Margaret Dann, the daughter in law of the architect, who has provided much of the information for this article. She is a long serving trustee and a member of the congregation.

The original church, Jessopp Road Congregational church, was founded in 1931 In 1967 the Congregational Church known as the Chapel-in-the-field (at Chapelfield) was found to be too costly to maintain the congregation united with Jessopp Road Congregational church to form a new church.

Following the building of the octagonal sanctuary and the foyer the church was dedicated at 3 p.m. on the 13 September 1969. There were no less than five ministers present! To commemorate the occasion a plaque was placed in the foyer which states “This building is erected to the GLORY OF GOD by the New Congregational Church” (see photo).

Another unusual design feature of the church is that it has a large stained-glass window the design of which shows the Holy Spirit ascending bring the two churches together. This was donated by the King family, who owned a famous lead glaziers’ firm in Norwich and who worshipped here.

The church was built for the use of the community around it and it still is a community church. In the early days there were women’s groups, playtime group for mothers and babies, children and young people activities. To quote Margaret Dann it has always been a church which sets out to help others with no strings attached. Just a desire to help those who need company and to talk about coping with life in all its aspects.

In 1972 the Congregational church in England and Wales joined with the Presbyterian church in England to form the United Reformed Church. The denomination expanded when Churches of Christ joined it in 1981, followed by Scottish Congregationalists in 2000.

Another momentous event happened in 2015 when it was agreed by the church to join with St Peter’s Methodist Church, Park Lane as a united church (formally known as a Local Ecumenical Partnership) where we worship as one congregation.

Of course, there is a lot more we could say about our history. How the building works in the late 1960s were put on hold until the birds nesting had fledged! We have more information in our archives and there are documents held the Norfolk Record Office.

Finally, it is to the future we must turn. Society has changed a great deal over the past 50 plus years. Churches today use modern technology and different and more informal ways of worship such as café church. We are still a church in the community though and we welcome everyone.