Wecome!
Welcome to St. John the Baptist Church, a place of peace and support at the heart of the community for many centuries.
The church is open every day for private prayer or for those wishing to visit. The calm and friendly atmosphere of the church means that many people return, not just to visit, but to join the congregation for Sunday services, where they are most welcome. Refreshments are served in Church after services, an ideal time to chat informally and get to know each other better.
The Church can be found in Garboldisham just off the A1066 and the building is open daily from about 09.00 to about 16.00. Car parking is on Church Road.
Services
Services are held mostly on Sundays.
- Eucharist (Holy Communion) is held on 1st, 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 09.30.
- All Age Worship (No communion) is held on 3rd Sunday of the month at 11.00.
- Group services are often held on the 5th Sunday of the month and are hosted by one of the Churches in the Group.
Whether you are new to Church, recently moved to the area, or just visiting we would love to meet you.
For more information or to speak to a church member please call Jane on 01953 308316.
History
The present church of St John the Baptist traces its origins to the 13th century and is Listed Grade I. The Tower dates from the 15th century as does the fine North Porch with its carved inscriptions commemorating William Pece. The 15th-century Chancel and Chapel screens are a rare survival of the pre-Reformation period. A major restoration was carried out by the renowned Victorian architect GE Street in 1862 when the present Chancel was added.
Over the decades different members of the community have gifted the church with stained glass windows, to see more about the windows please click on the link to http://www.norfolkstainedglass.org/Garboldisham/home.shtm
Other gifts include the screening to separate the bell tower entrance and toilets from the main area of the church. This was gifted by William and Jenny Gamble also by Sam Flatman. The kitchen and toilet were added in 2003 to allow refreshments to be served after the service and on our monthly coffee mornings on the first Sunday of the month.
The base of the font was given by the villagers to commemorate those who returned from fighting in war and who continued working and living in the community. It has a very moving inscription which has been recently enhanced to make it easier to read.
There are memorials to people of all ages from very young children to those who died in the service of their country. Above the entrance door are the carved wooden arms of Queen Anne and opposite this is a hatchment in memory of one of the Molineux Montgomeries which was restored in 2021. These memorials together with the older part of the churchyard are held in a document listing by surname and position within the churchyard or church. These will be available on the page Churchyard.
Our Bell Tower is kept locked for safety reasons but can be visited by appointment. The tower contains many peal boards the oldest dating from 1773. It also contains a Gotcha vessel, used to hold beer for the refreshment of the bell ringers. The peal of six bells is housed above the ringing chamber.
A newly commissioned set of glass doors have recently been installed in the entrance porch. The gift of Wendy Johnston in memory of her husband Richard.