St Margaret's Church, Lowestoft

Saint Margaret's Church is the parish church of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. It is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch[1] and is notable for its large illuminated blue spire which can be seen across the town. The church is located on a hilltop on the north-western edge of the town centre and was used as a navigation landmark.[2]

St. Margaret's Church
St. Margaret's Church, Lowestoft
St. Margaret's Church
Location in Suffolk
LocationLowestoft, Suffolk
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
Websitewww.stmargaretslowestoft.co.uk
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade I listed building
Designated13 December 1949
Administration
ParishLowestoft St Margaret[1]
DeaneryLothingland
ArchdeaconryNorfolk
DioceseNorwich
ProvinceCanterbury
Clergy
RectorRevd. Michael Asquith
Assistant priest(s)Revd. Geoff Wilson
Laity
Reader(s)Miss Gerda Buckley
Organist(s)Jonathan Williams
Churchwarden(s)Arthur Sparkes, Pam Shaw

The church is within the deanery of Lothingland and archdeaconry of Norfolk. It falls within the Diocese of Norwich which extends into north Suffolk.[1]

History

The church is medieval and a Grade I listed building with an early 14th-century tower.[3][4] It was founded by the Priory of St. Bartholomew in London which was granted the manor of Lowestoft in 1230 by Henry I.[5] The church contains a wooden panel listing the parish priests since 1308.[4]

The church is built of flint and was substantially enlarged during the 15th century, with the aisles and nave dating from this period.[3] It was refurbished during the Victorian period and the needle spire rebuilt in 1954, replacing the previous wooden spire which dated from 1483.[3][6] It contains the only known glasswork produced by Regency artist Robert Allen, installed in 1819.[2] The east window glass dates from 1891[3] and the church also contains glasswork from St Peter's church, a daughter church of St Margaret's which was demolished in 1975.[2][4] Organists: 1790 - 1854 Robert Browne Snr. 1854 - 1871 Robert Browne Jnr. (Assistant organist 1871 - 1885 and organist of St. Peter's Church, Lowestoft). 1871 - 1885 Frederick Alexander Mann. 1885 - 1902 Harry Denton Flowers. 1902 - 1935 Ernest Banks. 1935 - 1969 Cyril John Mitchell. 1969 - 1977 John Alexander Farmer. 1977 - 1987 Michael Davies. 1988 - 1996 Robert McNeil-Watson. 1996 - 2010 Steven Alan Kirk. 2011 - 2019 David Bunkell. 2019 - Jonathan Stanton Williams

Interior

Within the church the octagonal font dates from the 15th century[3] and the brass lectern is a rare pre-Reformation lectern dating from around 1500.[4] It also contains one of only two remaining banner stave lockers, a feature which is believed to be unique to this area of Suffolk.[2][4]

There are a number of memorials within the church. The north wall of the church contains a memorial to fishermen who lost their lives at sea between 1896 and 1923. After this date the memorial was moved to The Lowestoft Fisherman's and Sailor's Bethel.[4] A war memorial chapel contains a wooden wall inscribed with the names of 711 Lowestoft men who died in the Great War of 1914-18.[4]

Churchyard

The churchyard contains war graves of two service personnel of World War I and seventeen of World War II.[7]

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References
  1. Lowestoft St Margaret, The Church of England. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  2. Lowestoft St Margaret's, Suffolk Churches website. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  3. Church of St Margaret, Waveney, British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  4. Church history, St Margaret's Lowestoft. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  5. Page.A (1844) 'Lowestoft Parish', Topographical and genealogical, The County of Suffolk (available online). Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  6. Lewis.S (ed) (1848) 'Lowestoft (St Margaret)', A Topographical Dictionary of England, pp. 179-181 (available online). Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  7. CWGC Cemetery Report. Breakdown obtained from casualty record.
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