Issue 36 2023 - Journal - Page 29
St Nicholas Chapel,
Kings Lynn
Conservation and new design for a sustainable future
by Richard Griffiths Architects
St Nicholas’ Chapel is a magnificent Grade 1 listed
building in Kings Lynn, the largest and finest Medieval
chapel in the country. In 1993 it was vested with the
Churches Conservation Trust for the benefit of the local
community and visitors from afar, but its use for community purposes, major choral concerts and other events
had been hampered by the lack of facilities and modern
services. Richard Griffiths Architects were appointed to
carry out a project with NLHF funding that entailed
major conservation repairs and re-roofing, and new
interventions to provide St Nicholas’ Chapel with a
sustainable future as a community and cultural venue,
while preserving and enhancing its architectural
splendours for the enjoyment of visitors.
The foremost requirement was to renew the leadwork to
the nave and south aisles in order to stop the water penetration that threatened not only the 15th century roof
structure but also the glorious carved angels for which St
Nicholas is renowned. Water ingress had led to serious
decay of the ends of some of the timber trusses where they
Below, St. Nicholas, Kings Lynn roof
sat on the walls, and their structural integrity was restored
by splicing on new oak ends fixed with resin dowels,
thereby retaining the archaeology of marks, carving and
Medieval paint traces.
The design of the new interventions required to serve
extended cultural and community uses of the chapel
proved to be a matter of supreme sensitivity, because of
the archaeological and visual difficulties of inserting new
services, toilets and a kitchen. It was finally resolved to
provide two toilets and a kitchen at ground level in the
tower, reached through a low Medieval archway from the
nave, and faced with an elegant screen of oak planks. Further toilets for major events are provided in the base of
the tower and accessed from outside.
The design of an appropriate method of heating such a
large space in an economic and sustainable manner was
the subject of intensive investigation. The cost of heating
the chapel to steady comfort conditions in winter using
central heating would be prohibitive and unsustainable,
