Showing posts with label Hillingdon Square.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hillingdon Square.. Show all posts

Wednesday 3 August 2011

King's Lynn - All Saint's

This is a magnificent church in King's Lynn set amongst the ' car crash' that is the "Hillingdon Square" housing development. 


Brick lined grave
Possible Slate ledger stone
© Godric Godricson

Whilst this housing  development may have been a major development in 1960s architecture, it has rather distorted and confused the surrounding geographical area.  The church seems to be hemmed in on all sides by modern development to the point where it is held down and squashed.  Moreover, the railings that probably surrounded the cemetery  on three to four sides have all been removed and the cemetery has become little more than an open space for the housing development.  Unincorporated into its surroundings, the church is isolated and alone and is the subject of vandalism and  community disinterest.  However, it seems to be the way of things that there is little involvement of the local community with this ancient monument and place of worship.  The Anglo-Catholic tradition, once the powerhouse of 19th century Episcopalian worship in the United Kingdom has not continued into the 21st century with its former vigour.  People living nearby have no interest in the building or the cemetery and seen her involvement with building or the tradition that it represents.  The cemetery itself is now largely municipal in nature and contains very little of interest although one can see a brick lined grave atmospherically situated.  The large ledger stone on the surface is swept with rain.  Surprisingly, this interesting church and cemetery is only 100 yards or so away from the Jewish cemetery