Church of The Sacred Heart

Church of The Sacred Heart, North Walsham

Church built in 1934–5, designed by E. Bower Norris. The building is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with flat asphalt roofs. The southwest tower is topped with a green copper pyramid. The plan comprises a nave, aisles, chancel and southwest porch-tower, executed in Scandinavian Art Deco style.

The exterior is notable for its carefully considered detailing. The west front has a slightly projecting centre section with a rectangular stone doorcase containing recessed double-leaf single-panel doors. Above the doorcase, the centre section projects above the parapet line and contains three tall lancets with metal casements, the centre one rising higher than the others. Each light is flanked by triangular brick fillets that rise to the parapet and drop through the apron to the lintel of the doorcase. Single-light metal casements are positioned right and left of the doorcase. The aisle west ends terminate in single-storey square extensions, each lit through one metal lancet to the exposed faces. The south extension forms the base of the porch-tower, which has a triple-rebated square-headed doorway to the south containing a single-panel door. Each face of the tower carries two square brick fillets rising to a stepped parapet, enclosing two tiers of metal lancets. The parapet has three set-offs, with the second one containing three tall narrow recesses, and features a stone parapet with one raised panel to each face. The aisles are lit through three sets of triple lancets with metal casements, framed by triangular brick fillets rising from the plinth course to the parapet. Three cast-iron water hoppers and downpipes serve the aisles and blind clerestory, deployed as part of the overall design. The chancel has one triple lancet to both north and south, with a blind east end. Single-storey vestry rooms are attached to the north of the chancel, embracing the east end of the north nave aisle, with flat-roofed sacristies and confessionals filling the northeast corner.

The interior features a narrow west narthex separated from the nave by a west screen. A choir gallery was created over the narthex in 2004 with a framed glazed front. Round-headed arches to north and south lead into the aisle extensions. The nave has no arcade, with the aisles marked by their lower ceiling height. Round-arched doorways at the west end of the aisles are fitted with double doors. The nave and chancel have flat ceilings with plastered and reinforced concrete beams. Arched entrances to chapels are at the east end of the aisles, with stilted triangular-headed openings from the chancel chapels to the chancel, fitted with wrought-iron grilles. A round-headed recess occupies the chancel east wall. The font is plain octagonal. The glazed west screen consists of four sections on either side of double panelled doors, with panelled screen dado and panelled cornice. Each of the eight glazed sections contains Art Deco glass stained in pale colours with geometric motifs in leading and glazing patterns. Similar Art Deco glazing appears in the aisle windows. All windows are square-headed. Original wrought-iron altar rails feature a timber top rail. Plaster Stations of the Cross are displayed throughout. The benches currently in use were installed in the 1970s. The church is a fine quality example of its period with little alteration, carefully designed external detailing, and good fittings including characteristic stained glass.