The Centre for Natural Burial

St Magaret’s Church, at Thorpe Market, near Cromer, is a finalist in a national search to find the best village church which has adapted to serve the wider needs of the community.

By RICHARD BATSON, EDP24

A decade ago the quaint flint-faced country church was in danger of closure - but its revival at the heart of the community has now won national recognition.

Crisis-hit St Margaret’s at Thorpe Market, near Cromer, was six months from oblivion in 1997 when a small team of people determined to save it rolled up their sleeves.

They rallied support and funds and by 2002 the church had a new toilet and kitchen extension which is the engine room for its second coming.

From being a church with less than a dozen regular congregation members, it has become a venue for arts events that draws in more than 5,000 visitors a year.

Now its success has seen it chosen as a finalist in a prestigious national search to find the best village church which has adapted to serve the wider needs of the community.

The Grade II-listed 18th century church will compete against five others in the competition run by Country Life magazine

Finalists were all nominated by the public and the shortlist selected by a steering group that included the magazine’s editor Mark Hedges, who said the were “inspiring examples”

of how the future of some

churches could be assured, “in stark contrast to what might be expected, given the talk of dwindling congregations and wider rural decline.”

Over the summer, the judges, including eminent historian Sir Roy Strong who launched the awards, will visit all six finalists, with the winner, which will get a £10,000 prize, announced in the autumn.

Thorpe Market is up against competition from churches at Whatcote in Warwickshire, Slaugham in West Sussex, Worfield in Shropshire, Norton St Philip in Somerset and Hexton in Hertfordshire.

Thorpe Market church organist Margaret Hunter, who has been the driving force behind the revival, said: “We knew that if the church was going to survive it had to be used by the community - and a toilet was vital.”

A stop-gap measure involved a chemical loo in a shed in the churchyard, which meant a spooky torchlit walk for people wanting to spend a penny at night time events.

Now with the extension in place, and choir stalls removed to make space for a collapsible stage, the church plays host to an expanded Cantamus community choir, and Village Folk band, visiting professional folk, jazz and classical concerts, plus regular art and photography exhibitions.

It also has a green burial ground, draws coaches full of people to snowdrop walks, and has a recycling bank on the car park which generates another £1,500 a year.

With an average flock of 28 people attending fortnightly services, it was also successful in its original role, added Mrs Hunter, who was pleased with the Country Life recognition of what had been achieved.

But there was no time to rest on their laurels, with a major re-roofing due next year with help from English Heritage but with the locals having to find £30,000 towards the £100,000-plus project.

Full details of the awards are available in the new Country Life magazine out this week

More details about church activities on www.thorpemarket.org.uk