Longest dedication ? - Kings Lynn Norfolk
Priory and parish church of St Margaret of Antioch with St Mary Magdalene & All the Virgin Saints, Kings Lynn Norfolk - Herbert de Losinga, 1st bishop of Norwich founded, at the request of the townsfolk the church in 1101, he had also set up a small Benedictine priory in 1095 seconding monks from the abbey attached to the newly formed Norwich Cathedral. Only small parts of this original church survive - the internal columns and Romanesque arches of the west tower and the external base of the south tower.
The church was almost totally rebuilt under the aegis of Bishop de Grey of Norwich in the 13c, but only the chancel remains from this rebuild.
Wealthy merchants of the Trinity Guild whose hall stands opposite the church, sponsored another rebuild which greatly enlarged the church in 15c. They were bound to find 6 priests for the service of the church.
In 1453, the south tower, built on poor foundations was leaning so badly that it had to be completely rebuilt which still survives.
One of the merchants Walter Coney / Cony d1479 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/zv7PFY mayor four times in 1453, 1460, 1469 and 1470 is buried before the guild's altar in the north aisle chapel he built He also erected the cross-aisle or transept with a high roof c1476
In 1480, after his death, it was agreed that the church roof would be taken down and "ye lead of ye said church, and ye Executors of Walter Cony to make ye Cleerstories on both sides of ye church, finding to ye same work, time, sand, stone and workmanship, and set up a new roofe, and fill ye same roofe with ye old lead, and glaze ye windows of ye said stories at ye cost of ye said executors. And again in 1485 "the executors of Walter Cony granted £20 to ye making of a pinnacle (bell tower?) to ye great steeple *
Only the magnificent chancel arcades now survive.
A gale in 1741 demolished the the central lantern & southwest spire causing much damage to the nave and aisle - this resulted in yet another re-build in 1745-46 by Matthew Brettingham. , the Romanesque arches separating the nave from the aisles survived, with Gothic arches from the nave to the central crossing.
Sir George Gilbert Scott undertook another restoration in 1874 cleared out galleries which had been installed over the aisles and over the crossing and "opened" the church from end to end, leaving it much as it appears now. A programme of installing stained glass in the aisle windows, instead of the plain glass of the 18c brought colour back to the nave
Longest dedication ? - Kings Lynn Norfolk
Priory and parish church of St Margaret of Antioch with St Mary Magdalene & All the Virgin Saints, Kings Lynn Norfolk - Herbert de Losinga, 1st bishop of Norwich founded, at the request of the townsfolk the church in 1101, he had also set up a small Benedictine priory in 1095 seconding monks from the abbey attached to the newly formed Norwich Cathedral. Only small parts of this original church survive - the internal columns and Romanesque arches of the west tower and the external base of the south tower.
The church was almost totally rebuilt under the aegis of Bishop de Grey of Norwich in the 13c, but only the chancel remains from this rebuild.
Wealthy merchants of the Trinity Guild whose hall stands opposite the church, sponsored another rebuild which greatly enlarged the church in 15c. They were bound to find 6 priests for the service of the church.
In 1453, the south tower, built on poor foundations was leaning so badly that it had to be completely rebuilt which still survives.
One of the merchants Walter Coney / Cony d1479 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/zv7PFY mayor four times in 1453, 1460, 1469 and 1470 is buried before the guild's altar in the north aisle chapel he built He also erected the cross-aisle or transept with a high roof c1476
In 1480, after his death, it was agreed that the church roof would be taken down and "ye lead of ye said church, and ye Executors of Walter Cony to make ye Cleerstories on both sides of ye church, finding to ye same work, time, sand, stone and workmanship, and set up a new roofe, and fill ye same roofe with ye old lead, and glaze ye windows of ye said stories at ye cost of ye said executors. And again in 1485 "the executors of Walter Cony granted £20 to ye making of a pinnacle (bell tower?) to ye great steeple *
Only the magnificent chancel arcades now survive.
A gale in 1741 demolished the the central lantern & southwest spire causing much damage to the nave and aisle - this resulted in yet another re-build in 1745-46 by Matthew Brettingham. , the Romanesque arches separating the nave from the aisles survived, with Gothic arches from the nave to the central crossing.
Sir George Gilbert Scott undertook another restoration in 1874 cleared out galleries which had been installed over the aisles and over the crossing and "opened" the church from end to end, leaving it much as it appears now. A programme of installing stained glass in the aisle windows, instead of the plain glass of the 18c brought colour back to the nave