St. Seraphim’s story really begins in 1966 when Fr. Mark (later to become Fr. David) and Leon Liddament came to Walsingham as part of the newly formed Brotherhood of St. Seraphim. Their role at the time was to look after the little Orthodox Chapel that had been built in the Anglican Shrine; however, they soon felt that the local Orthodox needed a larger church.
Looking around, the only buildings that were available at the time were the old prison and the old railway station. Finding the station a better option, they set about converting the building to its current form, which, as the building was being rented from the council, left it practically the same as the railway days with the addition of an onion dome and cross.
While in the beginning they had planned to live and work in the rooms adjoining the chapel, events led to the establishment of a parish church in Great Walsingham, the Church of the Holy Transfiguration. However, St. Seraphim’s has remained a pilgrim chapel open to all who visit Walsingham since its establishment.
Throughout its history, St. Seraphim’s has been a centre for the creation of Orthodox Icons with both Leon and Fr. David earning their livings as full time iconographers. While both have sadly passed away, Fr. David in 1993 and Leon in 2010, the Trust aims to build on their legacy and make St. Seraphim’s a space for the study and practice of iconography once again, reflecting the life and work of St Seraphim of Sarov through publications, literature and icons.
St Seraphim’s Trust wishes to build on the long tradition of hand-painted icons in the traditional manner using egg-tempera, established by Father David and Leon Liddament and developed over 43 years. Their commitment to painting icons of local and British saints is of particular significance, and their icons can be found all over the world.
The display in the chapel’s entrance is to enable visitors to understand the meaning of icons, their use in worship and the home, and the technique by which they are made.
Many people will also know that St Seraphim’s chapel is housed in the former Walsingham railway station. As an important part of Walsingham’s history.
Quiet Garden. The Chapel garden is being developed as a community garden. We envisage a natural space to complement the spirituality of the Chapel and provide a calming and natural reflective space for use by pilgrims and the whole community locally as well as for local care organisations and professionals to provide activities and support to those that are in need.
