Saltfleetby St Clement

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Yarburgh

Few churches can have seen so many changes in 150 years as St Clement's.

It was originally constructed c 1225 in "an inconvenient position" so was moved 400 yards north-west next to the main coast road in 1885-6. The £2,330 cost was largely defrayed by Revd Henry Usher who was rector from 1867-1889.

The church served for less than a century, being made redundant in 1973. It was subsequently used firstly as a craft workshop; then as a cafe with an art and craft gallery, then a restaurant, the northern churchyard gradually becoming a car park.

In 2004 permission was granted for change of use to an office, and in recent times it has been used again as a Place of Worship. However, building work is again in progress.

It is Grade II listed: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1063058?section=official-listing

Jean Howard, 4 February 2022

Saltfleetby Saint Clement Church

Saltfleetby, St Clement

Three Velux windows have been added to the nave roof and a black vent pipe can be seen above the eastern windows.

Jean Howard, 4 February 2022

Saltfleetby Saint Clement Church

Saltfleetby, St Clement

The church was built to the design of architect William Mortimer of Lincoln and constructed in the Early English style with simple lancet windows.

The variety of stone used can be appreciated in this view. Note the crenelated tower parapet and the south porch.

A track shown on the 1888 map still leads across this face of the tower to the old graveyard in the field to the south.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/114647466

Jean Howard, 4 February 2022

Saltfleetby Saint Clement Church

Saltfleetby, St Clement

This view of the former church shows the south porch, lancet windows, and some tracery remaining at the head of a double-light window which is now largely reglazed.

Jean Howard, 10 April 2022

Saltfleetby Saint Clement Church

Saltfleetby, St Clement, Gravestone (Hargrave)

This headstone in St Clement's old churchyard is a reminder of the proximity of the treacherous North Sea, or the German Ocean as it was then known.

It reads: IN MEMORY OF/ JOHN HARGRAVE,/ Mariner/ late of Boston,/ who was shipwrecked/ and drowned/ OFF SALTFLEET/ on the 14th January 1837:/ Aged 67 Years/ RYLEY, LOUTH.

It may be that John Hargrave had come close to drowning 12 years before as the following newspaper report has been found:

On Friday, the 21st, in the morning, came ashore near this place, the Liberty, of Boston, John Hargrave, master, laden with oats from London.

As the sea then ran very high it was found necessary to launch the Life-Boat to preserve the lives of the crew, consisting of the master and two others.

The boat was very quickly into the water, well manned, and managed with great skill and courage, and the men were soon safely landed; the cargo is preserved though much damaged by the salt water; but the vessel is so much injured that there is little chance of her ever getting off again.

This was reported under Cromer in the Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette of 29 October 1825.

Jean Howard, 10 April 2022

Saltfleetby Saint Clement Churchyard Hargrave

Saltfleetby, St Clement, Lychgate

The lychgate was constructed in "AD1930".

The timber work is typical of many church lychgates with pierced trefoils and other Gothic decoration.

By contrast, the sturdy lower panels in cast concrete are in the Art Deco style of the 1930s.

The handgate seems to be much more modern and is out of keeping with the rest of the structure.

Jean Howard, 4 February 2022

Saltfleetby Saint Clement Churchyard Lychgate

Saltfleetby, St Clement, Old Churchyard

The site formerly occupied by St Clement’s church is accessible through the lychgate and directly southwards along a public footpath.

Here 26 gravestones are still apparent, most of the inscriptions still legible.

Jean Howard, 10 April 2022

Saltfleetby Saint Clement Churchyard