Norwich Cathedral Added to Heritage at Risk List Amid Rainfall Challenges

Historic England has included the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist, a Grade I listed Norwich landmark and acclaimed example of Victorian gothic architecture, on its Heritage at Risk list. The cathedral, which was finished in 1910, faces risks because its rainwater pipes are “simply overwhelmed by the increased levels of rainfall in recent years.” Approximately 1,200 individuals attend Mass each Sunday. The cathedral also hosts educational visits for schools and colleges and collaborates with the city council to provide winter night shelter for rough sleepers in the city. Various organizations, such as Prison Fellowship, Knit and Natter, keep fit classes, and Age UK art projects, utilize the cathedral’s facilities. This development raises questions about its implications for the cathedral’s community. Sofia Price, who manages the cathedral’s playgroup, found it to be an invaluable resource after the birth of her first child. She stated, “Some mums say if it wasn’t for the playgroup, they wouldn’t have got out of the house that day, they can talk to other adults and get help with post-natal depression …. there’s no judgement.” This complimentary weekly session caters to parents with children ranging from infants to six or seven years of age. Mrs. Price, a mother-of-two who grew up in Russia, chose to assume leadership of the playgroup after its previous leader departed. She commented, “I was really keen to keep it going as it helped me as a new mum when I was struggling – and it’s thriving.” She added, “My parents live away and I wanted fellowship with fellow mums, who know what it’s like, so it was really, really helpful.” Having converted to Catholicism after relocating to the UK, Mrs. Price appreciates the cathedral’s daily accessibility, which allows visitors to “always visit the blessed sacrament.” She remarked, “It’s so beautiful, it’s where my daughter was baptised, it was where I was confirmed. It’s such an important place for our family and it would be good to have the building standing for another 100 years.” Angela Stone, a member of the congregation for 35 years, affirmed, “The cathedral means everything and always has.” Over a significant portion of that period, she has volunteered with the St Vincent de Paul Society, a UK anti-poverty charity described as having “quite a presence within the cathedral.” The congregation provides funding for most of its local initiatives. She explained, “Our primary role is speaking up for the poor and disadvantaged and we do that through helping refugees and asylum seekers, collecting presents for prison inmates’ children and working with other agencies like Prison Fellowship.” She added, “We also have an emphasis on visiting the sick and housebound, especially parishioners – but you don’t have to be a Catholic to be visited by us.” “The bulk of our work stays in Norwich, whether it’s asylum seekers or supporting the sick or struggling families,” she noted. Mrs. Stone expressed that the extent of the building’s damage from rainwater was “concerning – these buildings cost a lot of money.” She further stated, “Norwich is getting wetter, we had a very wet winter and spring this year and fundraising for repairs could divert funds away from all sorts [of activities] in this active parish.” Father Alan Hodgson, the cathedral’s dean for two years, commented, “It’s beautiful, it was built with great love and dedication and most of the upkeep is done by volunteers.” The 15th Duke of Norfolk commissioned the construction of St John the Baptist, with its design attributed to architects George Gilbert Scott Jr and his brother John Oldrid Scott. Its foundations were established between 1882 and 1883. Originally a church, it was designated as the cathedral church for the newly formed Diocese of East Anglia in 1976. Father Hodgson noted, “It is really well used, we have two masses most days, a weekday mass attracts about 120 and the two masses on Sunday bring in up to 1,200 people from the local area and also places like Wymondham and Sprowston.” He continued, “It’s such a vital part of their prayer life and social life – straight after Sunday mass we go to our restaurant and have tea or coffee, enjoy the beauty of our garden, and for some people, we might be the only people they see that day.” The building has historically experienced issues with rainwater leakage. However, with increased rainfall, the downpipes and guttering have become insufficient. He explained, “It’s almost a stream in the roof space and it seeps into the masonry and is weakening it.” Matthew Champion, the diocesan heritage officer, clarified, “The cathedral is struggling to cope with the effects of climate change, with the Victorian gutters and downspouts being simply overwhelmed by the increased levels of rainfall in recent years.” Nevertheless, this represents only one of several difficulties confronting the “masterpiece of Victorian gothic architecture.” Mr. Champion identified additional problems, including a long-standing lack of maintenance, prior repairs of substandard quality, and certain questionable material selections. He stated, “All combined to put the future of this fantastic building at risk.” He also noted, “The most recent quinquennial (five years) inspection identified work of varying urgency that totalled over £8m.” Subsequently, over £1m has been allocated to critical repairs for the roof, gutters, electrical circuits, and the refurbishment of toilets and drains. This funding was supported by grants from Historic England, All Churches Trust, Biffa, and various donations. An application has been submitted to Historic England seeking grant funding for the initial phase of a comprehensive program of repairs to the roofs and rainwater systems, aimed at resolving persistent issues. Mr. Champion remarked that recognizing the cathedral “is at risk is always a sobering moment” but also “is also an opportunity to focus upon the challenges of making it safe once more.”