We started October with our monthly Coffee, Clean & Chat morning at one of the churches in the care of the Trust. This time it was Bagthorpe, St Mary’s turn, featured here in the main image. The cobwebs were cleared, the furniture polished, and the floors swept with the interior certainly much more inviting by the end of the morning. The next church to host a Coffee, Clean & Chat will be West Bilney, St Cecilia, PE31 6QY, on Tuesday 4th November from 10.30am. Please do pop by and see us if you are in the area, no experience needed, cleaning materials will be supplied. There will also be plenty of time to discuss the work of the Trust, as always accompanied by delicious cake!
We are very pleased to report that almost £60,000 has been received so far from this year’s sponsored Bike Ride, Walk & Drive event, which is a fantastic start. We are hearing some wonderful stories about the day, and have received some lovely photographs, including this one on the right from Helen Barber. You can view all of the images from this year, and previous years, in our gallery, which one is your favourite?
If you have photographs to share, don’t forget to send them to the Trust at media@norfolkchurchestrust.org.uk, you may just win a prize. For more on this year’s event, including how to pay your sponsorship money, see our latest dedicated Bike Ride Newsletter.
The Norfolk Churches Trust was founded in 1976, and we will be proudly celebrating our 50th anniversary with lots of interesting and exciting events during 2026.
The first of these we are happy to launch now. The Winter Lecture Series starts our anniversary year with a trio of diverse and stimulating talks taking place over the first three months of the year.
Friday 30th January – William Morris, Kelmscott Manor, and the Idea of the Beautiful House – Speaker Dr John Maddison, venue – College Farm, Thompson IP24 1QG. The lecture explores Morris’s developing sensitivity to historic domestic architecture through his own homes, for the romantic Gothic medievalism of Red House to a profound understanding of the beauty and simplicity of traditional vernacular architecture at Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire. Click here for more details and to book.
Friday 20th February – A Second Golden Age: British Stained Glass from the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts and Crafts Movement – Speaker Mr Peter Cormack, venue – Elsing Hall NR20 3DX. The second of our lectures is from Peter Cormack, the leading authority on the stained glass of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Britain and America. Click here for more information and to book.
Friday 6th March – Commemorating Kings: Funerals, Tombs and Memorials to the Kings and Queens of England, from Sutton Hoo to today – Speaker Tim Knox CVO, venue – Model Farm, Holkham NR23 1RP. Last by not least, Tim knox, who was appointed Director of the Royal Collection by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018, will be exploring the extraordinary legacy of English Royal Tombs and memorials, from the earliest times to the present day. From the mysterious ship burials of Sutton Hoo, to twentieth century monarchs and much more in-between. The lecture also touches on tombs that were never realised, and the sombre magnificence of State Funerals through the ages. Click here for more information and to book.
Image © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection
Each lecture is individually priced at £25 per person, however, if you would like to attend all three lectures for the price of £60, please follow this link to book.
These lectures are for members only, however, if you would like to attend and wish to join the Norfolk Churches Trust, please click on membership for options.
Following a very successful evening in July, the Trust is delighted to announce that there will be another exclusive Evening with Justine Picardie on her new book ‘Fashioning the Crown: A Story of Power, Conflict and Couture.
The event will take place on Friday, 27th March, our venue, Wolterton Hall, NR11 7LY.
Justine’s latest book tells the true story of a tumultuous half-century of British history through the lens of fashion and image making, informed by her original research in the Royal Archives as well as her own interactions with Elizabeth II and her family. Justine will take us behind the glamour and mystique of the Crown, introducing us afresh to three generations of royals, including the glamorous Queen Mary; the Chanel-wearing young flapper who would become the Queen Mother; and the little Princess Lillibet, already setting fashion trends at the age of three. Ticket prices include a welcome drink and one signed copy of the book. £45 for an individual or £65 for a couple. Book your place here, for what is sure to be a popular event.
Trust Members have a two-week priority booking window for this event, any remaining tickets will go on general sale on Friday 7th November.
Celebrate the start of the Christmas season with the Norfolk Churches Trust and Wolterton Hall, Tuesday 2nd December from 7pm. What better way to get you in the Christmas spirit than a truly special evening of music, canapes and bubbles, the Hall will be decorated and the fires lit. Tickets are priced at £45 per individual and £80 per couple to include two glasses of English sparkling wine, canapes, and a tour of the Hall. The Trust will be running a raffle during the evening and there will be NCT merchandise available for those looking for unique Christmas presents. A lovely way to start the festive season, for more information and to book, follow the link.
With the festive season in mind, don’t forget that the Trust has an assortment of Christmas cards available to purchase, each sale supports the work we do. See the selection on offer in our shop.
Stuck for ideas for a Christmas present? Why not purchase a Norfolk Churches Trust Gift Membership for a friend or family member. The recipient will enjoy exclusive access to member-only events as well as priority booking for our popular talks, tours and special events, such as the Stately Car Boot Sale and the House by the Church. We will keep them updated on the work of the Trust with regular emails and our monthly newsletter.
You will receive a Gift box containing one, or two (dependant on type of membership chosen) specially designed Graham Clarke Norfolk Churches Trust mugs, a copy of our Annual Report, postcard, bookmark, and a gift card for you to complete. Purchase a Gift Membership here.
Funds raised from subscriptions and events such as those outlined above, go directly to support churches in the county with Grant Aid. We are pleased to see that work has taken place by a number of churches recently with the assistance of a grant awarded by the Trust.
Churches such as Horsford, All Saints who were awarded a grant of £8,000 in November 2024 towards the re-thatching of their chancel roof. The plan was to remove the existing thatch, have a structural assessment on the exposed timbers and roof underneath, conducting any remedial work before applying the new thatch, we are pleased to say that work has recently taken place.
Therefore, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our members and supporters, as without you we would not be able to help churches such as All Saints, pictured here.
A condensed version of our newsletter for your church noticeboard is available here.
