|
There has been a church on this site since 1087, when it is mentioned a Monk was paid 11/6d a year for his services.
This was granted by King William Rufus, (Rufus means red, and was his Nickname because of his staring Red Beard)
To The Manor and Advowson this is a very ancient order.
The gift of the Advowson, that is the gift of the living, was granted to the Priors and Convent of Holy Trinity, Norwich.
So it seems Hopton has had it’s own church for over 921 years.
Earlier mentions of a religious site here around the 900s are also recorded.
The Old Church before it was burnt down had a simple early English Nave, and North aisle, which was, added a century later.
It is said the materials for this aisle came from the Church in Newton, a village along the coast between Hopton and Corton that fell into the sea in about 1350.
Beach Road, past the Riding Stables, ( Now Potters Holiday Village) was called Newton Gap Road in the past.
The architecture of the Church in it's present form suggests the date when it was built, between 1189 – 1250.
The beautiful windows in the North aisle were in Decorated style and dated from 1350 said to be the best example of this type in the Country at the time.
Clergy who have served Hopton
|
Perpetual Curates.
First Monk in the reign of William Rufus
John de Brantone
Galfridus de Wooton
Richard de Sratton
Thomas de Specteshall
John Clere de Wenaston
Walter Spendlove
Richard Atte Hyll
Thomas Hern de Martham
John Hacoun
John Hacoun de Slely
John Harbie |
Incumbrants
Mr Street or Skeet appointed to Hopton to read Divine Services and preach at least once every Sunday
1755-1767 John Castleton
Charles Hall
1770-1771 W Wayne
1774-1800 Frances Bowness (Also Rector of Gunton and Vicar of Corton)
Nicholas Wood
1801-1835 Batholomew Ritson
Miles Branthwayte Salmopn
1836-1841 Edmond Smith Ensor
1842-1847 Thomas William Salmon
1848-1861 M.M.Miller (He saw the building of the school)
1861-1868 Robert Howlett (He saw the destruction of the church and consecrated the new St Margarets on 27th Sept 1866) |
The Churchyard was used for burials well into this century, and a small room was maintained at the base of the Tower for this purpose. A report was compiled by DG Martin ARIBA in 1952 makes it quite clear that the ruins were in a much safer condition than they were in 1985. The font was still in position, and the surrounding churchyard has been much misused, and this has resulted in a considerable decline in the safety of the ruins.
Attempts at getting something done to re-habiliitate the site were started in 1966 when the old churchyard was officially declared closed, the grave stones where resited, and the whole area grassed over.
The Churchyard is now maintained by the Gt Yarmouth Borough Council and Parish Council volunteers. In 2000 it was dedicated as the Memorial Gardens maintained by Hopton in Bloom volunteers.
The ruins themselves however are still in the care of the Parochial Church Council, and since 1981 considerable time, energy and money have been spent by the Parish Council in cleaning all the rubbish out of the ruined nave and re-gravelling the interior.
Access to the Tower was blocked off because of the danger to children who climbed it.
At a special service held on Easter Day 1984, the Vicar dedicated the large wooden cross which has been placed at the East end of the ruined Nave, to commemorate over 600 years of Christian worship and witness on this site. This has vanished, destroyed by vandals before the ruins were enclosed.
During 1985, concern was again been expressed about the safety of some parts of the ruin, and especially the Tower, and the Gt Yarmouth Borough Council, The Hopton Parish Council, and Parochial Church Council agreed a programme which will involve taking down to a safe level some parts of the walls to make them safe, and a full investigation of the fabric of the Tower, parts of which may also have to be taken down.
All this work will obviously change the appearance of the ruins, and locals and visitors alike will be sad to see the Old North Aisle window arch in the East wall disappear, not to mention the possible loss of the top of the Tower, which has been a local landmark for so long.
In 2008 the Parish Council purchased the site from the Church Commissioners for a nominal sum,which safeguards the site forever and enables us to proceed with plans to bring them back into use for the Community.
In 1826 JH Druery wrote.
“ On each side of the East window, in the North aisle, are two saints niches, arched and ornamented. There is no distinction between the nave and the chancel. The font is ancient, at the base are four lions supporting an octagonal top, in eight compartments. The narrow looped windows admit but a very scanty portion of light, and impart a gloom to the interior, which is floored in red brick. JH Druery also records for us the fact that beside the altar was a white marble tablet with the inscription:
“sacred to the memory of john sayers esq. Born the 17th of january, 1782, who after serving 16 years, with distinguished credit, in his majesty’s revenue service, was whilst in command of the ranger cutter, and in zealous discharge of his duty, shipwrecked off happisburgh sand, in a sudden storm, on the night of the 17th of october, 1822, and perished with all his crew.
His body was never found, but it is the consolation of his surviving relatives and friends, that his spirit rests with him, at whose divine behest the earth and sea shall one day give up their dead. To his sisters, deprived in early life of parental care, and a brother. They have erected this tablet as a record of their grief for his untimely loss, and of their respect for his virtues, and to perpetuate and gratify their own feelings of affection for his memory.”
In 1897 Mrs James Orde of Hopton Hall describes the fire:
“For more than 600 years the Church had been witness to god, and the centre of religious life and activity, but in less time than two hours the greater part of the building, which had stood the ravage of time and storm for so many centuries, perished by fire.
On Sunday, January 8th 1865, dry weather and a half gale blowing, the stove became over heated after morning service. John Hodge, the worthy sexton, seated at his dinner close by, noticed a smell of fire, saw the sparks, gave the alarm, but there was no power of checking the flames, which roared through the tower like a chimney, and licked up seats, books, in fact everything the Church contained. The heat peeled off a dozen coats of whitewash from lifetime. What a waste if we let it fall in and be lost forever. It would be a crime against history and our Heritage”.
BACK TO HOME PAGE |
