Walsingham's Orthodox Chapel asks for your memories

St Seraphim’s Orthodox Chapel

Trustees of St Seraphim’s Orthodox Chapel, based in the former Walsingham Railway Station since 1967, are appealing for people's memories of the chapel and the old station, which was for years (1857 - 1964) the arrival point for many pilgrims at the shrine.

As well as a centre of worship St Seraphim's was the place where Fr David (d 1993) and Leon Liddament (d 2010) worked on their icons, which can now be seen in churches and homes throughout the UK and worldwide.

The Trust which supports the chapel has now received a Lottery Fund Grant, which they are using to develop plans for a full Heritage Lottery bid for funds to develop a visitors centre at the Chapel.

The project will make the chapel and the rest of the building, including the surviving station platform and the large garden behind the platform, fully accessible to all visitors. Plans include a display area for Father David and Leon Liddament’s Icons, and workshop spaces where courses and events will be held to enable people to learn about iconography and its role in the Orthodox Christian faith.

Work has already begun to develop a community garden, a natural space to complement
the spirituality of the chapel and provide a calming and natural reflective environment for use by pilgrims and the local community. A viewing hut has been established from which visitors can see all the religious sites in Walsingham.

The story of the Orthodox faith in Walsingham began in the 1930s when emigré Russian priests visited the Anglican Shrine. A Pan-Orthodox Chapel was established at the Anglican Shrine in 1945. But the growth of interest in the Orthodox faith led to the development of St Seraphim’s Chapel in the old railway station in 1967. Father David, the priest in charge led a Lay Brotherhood of St Seraphim and created the Icon workshop. Further growth in the Orthodox community saw the opening of the Holy Church of the Transfiguration in Great Walsingham in 1988.

Please send your memories and photographs to: Sylvia Batchelor, St Seraphim’s Trust, Station Road, Little Walsingham Norfolk. NR22 6EB. Tel: 01328 820610 e-mail: Sylvia@iconpainter.org.uk

For more information see: http://iconpainter.org.uk