St James’ Chapel
In what is now St James’ Park was a chapel-of-ease to St Margaret’s, built between 1121 and 1144, at the behest of Eborard, second Bishop of Norwich, part of the town’s eastward expansion. The nave, and eastern part of the chancel were destroyed in 1559. The remaining parts, transept and truncated chancel, were used for the manufacture of baize. In the 1680s, it was turned into a new workhouse, designed by our celebrated architect Henry Bell. The sudden collapse of the central bay and tower in August 1854, when work was being carried out on the clock, resulted in the death of the clocksmith and an inmate. Demolition of the remaining structure in took place in 1910 with all that now remains to see being the north transept’s 16th-century window with medieval stone surround from the earlier chapel and a section of the south wall (to the south of the nursery school). A new and larger workhouse, bearing the same name, was built in Extons Road in 1856.
St James’ Park and Surrounding Area
There are recordings of burials in the area particularly during times of plague in the 16th and 17th centuries, but in 1803 a formal cemetery, known as St Margaret’s, was established here due to the town’s three parish churchyards being full.
A circular chapel was added 1805 but with the passing of the Municipal Graveyards Act in 1854, which saw the Corporation take responsibility for graves, a new municipal graveyard was established at Hardwick on the site of what had become All Saints graveyard. The graveyard in what is now St James’ Park, which had grown considerably in size, was closed.
Over time the area became overgrown and in 1902–03, it was turned into the park we know today. The central chapel was demolished and a fountain, paid for by the Mayor, Cllr Carpenter, was built in its place.
The gravestones were moved to a site in the south-east corner of the park, adjacent to what eventually became St James surgery, where they can still be viewed today, although the actual graves remain, hence the generally raised flowerbeds in the park. A large London Plane tree sits in the centre of the gravestones its centre trunk measuring over 7m, making it one of the largest trees in the park.
In 1844–46, St John’s Evangelical Church was built, the town’s first free church where pews did not have to be paid for by subscription as was the case in the town’s Anglican churches.
In 1846 and just a short walk from the church, the town’s railway station was built. Intended as a temporary station before a new station was established further into town on what had been prematurely named Railway Road, the temporary station eventually became permanent, Railway Road now being a reminder of the original intentions.
