Gunton St Andrew’s, Gunton
Open daily 10am to 4pm
Gunton, NR11 7HJ
Parking nearby
Grade I
Train station nearby
Gunton Station - 0.6 miles
This church building is managed by Churches Conservation Trust.
In 1767, after 160 years of neglect, the old medieval church of Gunton was no longer fit for purpose and a new church was built in the style of a Roman temple. A hatchment was reintroduced from the old church and one memorial from the north wall of the old chancel was relocated on the outside east wall. The lords of the manor hung more of their colourful hatchments high on the walls but their other memorials are sparse and modest. In 1826 an austere Greek-revival style organ was installed. For a long time it had to be hand pumped. Under the influence of the Anglo-Catholic movement, the seating was changed so that it faced inwards towards the central aisle, in the style of an ancient college chapel. The floor of the sanctuary was raised up with steps in three stages and inset with green Connemara and Tinos marbles. Paneling separated by four composite Corinthian wooden capitals was placed against the end walls. In 1918 the 6th Baron Suffield changed the pews so they looked east again. He also installed a bas-relief memorial portrait of his mother Cecilia. This is the only one of its kind in the chapel. His wife Evelyn then placed a copy of Raphael's painting of the Holy family behind the altar. In 1976 a serious roof leak caused the ceiling to collapse. The cost of repairing it was beyond the resources of the congregation so the chapel was declared redundant.Incorrect information? Update this entry