Belaugh church staithe now back in use

Visitors can now arrive at St Peter’s church in Belaugh again by boat following repairs to the parish staithe, completed with the help of the Diocese of Norwich.

Last summer a boat hired on the Norfolk Broads caused significant damage when it collided with the historic staithe at the parish church in Belaugh. Not only did the incident present a challenge for the church in terms of funding a repair, it also led to a significant drop in visitors to the church via the waterways – meaning a dip in the vital revenues that tourism contributes. 

The predicament at St Peter’s was only came to light as a result of a recently launched initiative by the Diocese of Norwich which, this year, will see pastoral phone calls made to every one of its 550 parishes.
 
Parish Support Adviser, Danica Rice, who leads the “call-outs” drive, rang the PCC Secretary of St Peter’s Church in Belaugh to offer support and identify any areas in need of attention. As a result, the situation regarding the staithe was passed on to the Diocese’s Care of Church Buildings team, who promptly shared advice on how to arrange repair work and allocated financial support to St Peter’s in the form of a Minor Repairs and Improvements grant.
 
The repairs have now been completed and a ceremony held to celebrate the staithe’s reinstatement, with Revd Liz Jump very aptly arriving by boat to lead the thanksgiving on the banks of the River Bure.
 
Reflecting on the importance of the repair, Revd Liz Jump said: “St Peter’s church Belaugh, who reinstated the Staithe with help from both the Belaugh community and the Diocese, are delighted to have it available for use again.  We have now formally reopened the Staithe with a service at the church, and it was great fun to arrive by boat! We blessed the Staithe, and gave thanks for all who had managed to bring the plan to fruition, and can’t wait to see it in full use for visitors next season.”
 
One of St Peter’s church’s many claims to fame is that an eight-year-old John Betjeman was inspired by the site during a family holiday to Norfolk, sparking a lifelong obsession with the county’s churches.
 
The hope is that many more ways to support churches will be unearthed via call-outs from Diocesan House. Established with the aim of offering bespoke support to every church and PCC, the ‘call-outs’ programme has harnessed the power of a friendly phone call to connect parishes with vital guidance and funding.
 
Tim Sweeting, Diocesan Secretary and CEO of the Diocese of Norwich, said: “We are dedicated to ensuring each and every parish knows we are here to help, no matter the issues they may encounter. Whether the call-outs lead to a friendly chat, an offer of guidance on how funding can be accessed, or an in-depth discussion about how a church may need to utilise the Parish Support Team’s expertise; all these conversations are hugely valuable.
 
“The quick progress made at Belaugh, and several other churches since we began this project, gives me great cause for hope that this, allied with all the other ways we actively communicate as a diocese, will continue to improve the lives of all our churches.”
 
This story is based on an article, with several more pictures, at DioceseofNorwich.org
 
The top picture shows Revd Liz Jump making an address from the bank of the river. The others show the damaged staithe before repair, and Rev Liz arriving by boat. All photos are courtesy of Diocese of Norwich.

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