Historic Norwich church saved as place of worship
Less than a year since it closed its doors, Trinity URC in Norwich has had its future assured as a new place of Christian worship and community use after being sold to the Catholic Diocese of East Anglia for use by its neighbouring St John’s Cathedral. Keith Morris reports.
The site first housed Unthank Road Baptist Church, until it was demolished in 1956, when it was replaced by Trinity URC. It is acknowledged as one of the most striking and memorable of all Norwich's post-war churches, built by celebrated architect Bernard Feilden, and is a Grade II listed church.
In a statement, the Diocese of East Anglia said: “It will continue to be used for worship, including being offered as a sustainable base for the Syro-Malabar (South Indian) Catholic community in the area. With its associated buildings, it will also provide clergy accommodation, a new home for the Diocesan Archive, offices, new teaching and meeting spaces, as well as expanding the Cathedral’s car parking offer, and will be available to the wider community.
“As recognised by the official listing, Trinity church has group architectural value with the Cathedral and, when integrated into the wider site, will complete the fourth side of the Cathedral’s gardens making them a full cloister-style quadrangle.
“Works to upgrade the church and its associated buildings for their new purposes will take some time and will be led by the Cathedral’s architect, Nicholas Warns.”
St John’s Cathedral, itself a Grade I listed major Norwich landmark commissioned the then Duke of Norfolk in 1882 and designed by George Gilbert Scott, is currently used by over 1000 people every week for worship, offers guided tours and events, and has a welcoming café that is open to all from Monday to Saturday offering breakfasts, refreshments and lunches. The Cathedral recently received a significant grant from Historic England as part of a projected major programme of repair works.
“The purchase of Trinity church is being funded by proceeds from the sale of unused Diocesan properties and does not represent a charge on the Diocese’s day-to-day budget,” said the Diocese.
Moderator of the United Reformed Church Eastern Synod, Rev Lythan Nevard, told Network Norfolk at the time of the church’s closure last September: “As Trinity URC emerged from a no longer used Baptist church there is hope and prayer that this place might become a new place of worship yet again. The worshipping life of Trinity URC may be coming to an end but the worship of God and the building of God’s kingdom continues.”
Read our previous article on this topic.
Picture of the former Trinity URC in Norwich by Simon Knott and www.norfolkchurches.co.uk