Benchmark and rivet - St Simon & St Jude, Elm Hill, Norwich, Norfolk - European Historic Survey Stones, Monuments and Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

Cut benchmark on St Simon & St Jude church, Elm Hill, Norwich

"This poor, battered little church has played an important part in modern Norwich history, because it was its projected demolition in the 1920s that galvanised the Norwich Society into action. After a fierce battle against the City Council, they saved St Simon and St Jude along with the rest of Elm Hill. After the war, their reputation made them a powerful voice against the lunatic policies of Norwich planning officer Herbert Rowley and his attempts to turn the centre of the city into some kind of soviet-inspired industrial zone.

St Simon and St Jude had been declared redundant in the 1890s; small wonder, as it is within 200 metres of five other churches, not to mention the Cathedral just across the road. It was neglected, and in 1911 the tower collapsed. Shortly afterwards, the building seems to have been pressed into use as a Sunday school by the neighbouring churches; but by the 1930s it had been abandoned, and was an ivy covered- runi, rapidly returning to earth.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 16th 1938, the young George Plunkett photographed the ivy-covered mound from Fye Bridge Street. A lone policeman stands, gazing at the disappearing church. You can just make out the west face of the tower stump, gone today."

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/17/2022 Master Mariner visited it