St Gregory’s Church, Norwich: Emergency Repairs to Save a Medieval Masterpiece

Grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund enables emergency works to save a medieval masterpiece.

Norwich Historic Churches Trust has been awarded a grant of £250,000 from The National Lottery Fund to support the project development and emergency works at St Gregory’s, Pottergate. Urgent works are required to repair the west wall of the north porch, along with other masonry and roof repairs that will help protect a nationally significant medieval wall painting of St George and the Dragon.

These emergency works represent the first phase of a much larger conservation project on this magnificent historic building.

Norwich Historic Churches Trust is a charity established in 1973 to care for 18 redundant medieval churches in the city which boasts the largest concentration of medieval churches north of the Alps. As the custodian of this nationally important group of Grade I listed buildings, the Trust builds long-term partnerships with tenant organisations that serve a diverse range of communities in the city.  St Gregory’s has been home to an Antiques Centre since 2014, boasting 400 visitors per day.

Situated in the heart of Norwich’s historic ‘Lanes’, St Gregory’s has Saxon origins and surviving 11^th century fabric, although the present building largely dates from the late 14^th century. The building is attributed to mason Robert Wodehirst, who also worked on Norwich and Ely Cathedrals. St Gregory’s is notable for its unusual architectural plan, incorporating a raised sanctuary above a vaulted public passage, and for its exuberantly lit, unified nave and chancel, which creates one of the most dramatic medieval interiors in Norwich.

The late 14^th century font remains in situ at the entrance to the nave, along with misericords in the chancel.  At the west end of the north aisle, the 15^th-century painting of St George and the Dragon was discovered in 1861, and is considered by art historians to be one of the finest late medieval wall paintings in England.  Further wall paintings were discovered in the south aisle in 1979, including The Four Doctors of the Church.

Most of the stained glass is from the late 19^th century, and is by J & J King of Norwich, although fragments of 15^th century glass can be found in a panel in one of the north nave windows.

This grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will enable us to stabilise the deteriorated flint facework on the west wall of the north porch, repair failing parapet copings and flashings in the same area, and replace defective rainwater goods which are accelerating decay of the north clerestory masonry and placing the St George wall painting at risk.

This project addresses the most urgent threats to the building and its precious wall paintings, buying essential time to prepare for a larger phase of essential proposed repairs.  It will also enable the Trust to build a new relationship with the City College Norwich, to provide site visits and potential work experience for young people studying construction, brick laying and carpentry, increasing access and participation in heritage construction skills.

It is our intention that the Antiques centre will be able to remain open for business throughout this phase of urgent repairs.

In accordance with The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s investment principles, the Trust will commission a preliminary bat roost assessment to make sure the project has a sound approach to protecting the environment. Larger capacity gutters on the north side of the building will help make the church more resilient at coping with the effects of climate change as summer downpours become the norm.

The Trust will also commission an Evaluation and Learning Partner to help the organisation apply the experience it gains from this project to inform future repair projects across the estate of 18 Grade I listed churches. Although an accurate cost estimate will only be available following additional survey and investigation work, based on recent inspections by a conservation architect, the Trust expects that once these emergency repairs are complete, it will need to raise a substantial sum for a larger repair project.  

You can follow the progress of the project on our website www.nhct-norwich.org.  and via the Trust’s social media pages. Donations to support the work of the Trust at St Gregory’s and other churches can also be made there.

Dr Oliver Coulson, Executive Director of Norwich Historic Churches Trust writes:

“St Gregory’s is one of Norwich’s great medieval treasures. Its architecture and wall paintings bear witness to the artistic ambition, imagination and remarkable craftsmanship of the later Middle Ages. The painting of St George and the Dragon is a work of exceptional significance, and its survival is a matter of national importance. This grant enables us to address the immediate threats to the building and safeguard this extraordinary work for future generations. We are deeply grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and, above all, to National Lottery players, whose support makes this vital work possible.”