The Great Fire of South Walsham 1827
St Lawrence's Centre for the Arts, The Street, South Walsham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR13 6DQ
Learn how a fire which started in a village cattle yard spread so far and so fast that many buildings in South Walsham, including the medieval church of St Lawrence, were severely damaged. Discover how the fire miraculously missed the parish church of St Mary's, which shares the same churchyard, and how local people preserved and enhanced the once sad remains of St Lawrence's, recreating it as a rural centre for the arts.
This Heritage Open Day launches a year of village heritage activities to help us find out more about the fire and its impact on Georgian South Walsham. We want to share the history of those times by introducing visitors to the various characters involved in the story. There will also be an exhibition displaying copies of historic documents recorded at the time of the fire and photographs and art work of the "before" and "after" views of the two churches. We are tracing the history of the village from the 1827 fire to the present day and have a series of photographs of the village and a considerable archive from the local primary school whose pupils are also taking part in the project. We've made many interesting discoveries since last year's open day.
We are keen to hear from anyone with information about the history of South Walsham and volunteers will be collecting memories and anecdotes on the day.
There will be activities for children, lots of information on the history of St Lawrence's and its present day use, plus delicious tea, coffee and cakes.
Timings
- Saturday 19 September:
- 1000-1600
Location & directions
St Lawrence's Centre for the Arts, The Street, South Walsham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR13 6DQ
- Directions:
- St Lawrence's Centre is at the centre of the village of South Walsham on the B1170 and shares a churchyard with the parish church of St Mary's. It has a small car park.
- Contact on day:
- Chris Bond
- Telephone number:
- +447590307099
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
Our wheelchair access is via the larger of the two doors at St Lawrence's which, depending on the weather, may be closed on the day. Volunteers will be there to open the door and provide a wheelchair ramp to allow access as the small door is rather narrow.
Additional information
This Heritage Open Day is part of a two year village heritage project, researching the history of the 1827 fire, its impact at the time and the story of the ruined St Lawrence's Church into the 21st century. In June 2027 we will stage a musical drama based on contemporary records of the fire and tracing the development of the village and its churches right up to the present day. Local school children and our amateur dramatics group will be involved and you can find out how to take part and/or book tickets by emailing [email protected].
- Estimated duration:
- 1 hour(s)
