Former city church on the market for £600K

A listed church that sits in the shadow of a cathedral has been put up for sale for £600,000.

The Trinity United Reformed Church (URC) in Norwich closed last September due to falling congregation numbers and the retirement of its minister.

Now the former church, in Unthank Road, has been made available for purchase.

URC Eastern Synod clerk, Rev Dave Coaker, said: "It is extremely sad when churches close but is something that all churches have to face at times, especially after Covid."

He added: "The congregation had worked hard to maintain the building, but due to falling numbers attending worship and an elderly congregation, the increased demands on maintenance and repair bills were too much to bear."

The Grade II listed building was built on the site of a disused Baptist chapel which was demolished in 1954.

Rebuilt and dedicated two years later, it became home to the Trinity Presbyterian Church, the congregation of which have met in the city since 1867 but had seen its Theatre Street church destroyed during World War Two.

The Presbyterian church became part of the URC in 1972 and the only notable change to the building since has been the addition of a lift at the back of the building.

The retirement of its last minister, Rev John Potter, contributed to the decision to close last year and now the future of the building is unclear.

Rev Coaker, of the URC, added: "Once the building closed, its ownership reverted to the URC Eastern Synod Trust. In accordance with charity law, the Trust must sell the building at the amount of a professional valuation."

The Charity Commission's advice for such sales is that registered charities should "properly manage" transactions "in the best interests of your charity". This includes getting "the best terms you reasonably can".

The Unthank Road site is being advertised with a guide price of £600,000 by estate agents Watsons.

It is described as falling under the F1 usage category, which covers education, art exhibitions, museums, libraries and public worship.

This means it is not currently able to be used for residential purposes, with any such plans requiring council permission for a change of use.

The former church is adjacent to the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist and overlooks the popular Plantation Garden visitor attraction.

It was given a Grade II listing by Historic England in 2007, partly due to being considered as having "group value" with the cathedral.

Designed by Sir Bernard Feilden and built by Thomas Gill and Sons during 1955-56, the listing states that Feilden took inspiration from the 6th Century Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, near Ravenna, Italy.

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