THE CITY OF NORWICH used to have about 100 churches. Today, there are about 73 churches in use as places of worship. That is approximately one church for every 1900 people. Many of Norwich’s churches are no longer used for worship, but being of historic and architectural value, they are kept standing. One of these redundant churches is St Gregory’s in the heart of the city. It was constructed in the 14^th century, and has been designated a Grade 1 Listed Building. Closed in 1971, it is looked after by the Norwich Historic Churches Trust.

On entering St Gregory’s, you are confronted by models of deer with antlers standing in the porch alongside all manner of ‘junk’. Beyond this, there is a glass fronted refrigerator containing cans of carbonated drinks. On entering the body of the church, the visitor is confronted by all manner of used goods (including antiques) arranged picturesquely in the aisles, the chancel, and other parts of the church. When the initial surprising impact of the church is over, one notices features of the original church that still remain: the stone font; the royal coat of arms; stained glass windows; funerary sculptures; the organ; and a fine wall painting of St George and the dragon. Towering above the sea of goods, there is beautiful gothic vaulting.

Since 2011, the church has been used as an antiques centre (actually, it is more like an indoor flea market). The variety of goods on sale is huge. Beneath the organ, where the choir stalls must have been, there is a second-hand book seller. Despite the somewhat Bohemian look about this stall, the books are not moderately priced.

Whether or not one has any interest in purchasing antiques, St Gregory’s is well worth a visit because what has been created within it is much better than many immersive installations created by professional artists.