Less than 20 years after it reopened as a conference centre and offices of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the St Nicholas Centre in the heart of town has been put up for sale.
The centre was based on St Nicholas Church - one of the most historic Medieval churches in Ipswich - and also includes the Cutler Street offices for diocesan staff.
However, following the Covid pandemic, many members of staff are continuing to work at home, at least for part of the time, and the diocese has decided to put its offices and conference centre up for sale.
The Sanctuary cafe that linked the former church and offices closed several years before the pandemic, but the church continues to be used for conferences and occasional concerts.
At present diocesan staff are still working at the offices and there is no timescale for the changes - the building has only just been put on the market and "for sale" signs only went up in the middle of the week.
A spokesman for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said: “We have noticed a change of use at the diocesan office over recent years, particularly regarding how our staff use the office space and our event management needs.
"This was particularly brought to our attention during the Covid-19 pandemic as we adapted to working at home and holding events remotely.
"Going forward, as we plan our future office requirements, it is important that we explore all avenues, opportunities and this includes the potential of selling the site.”
St Nicholas Church dates from the 14th century - but was largely rebuilt during the Victorian period.
There have been suggestions that Thomas Wolsey was baptised in the church - his family home was in nearby St Nicholas Street - but these are disputed by those who think he may have been born in Black Horse Lane and Christened in St Mary at the Elms.
The church became redundant and came into the ownership of the Ipswich Historic Churches Trust which sold it back to the diocese in 2001 for conversion into the St Nicholas Centre.
At that time there was much excitement at the diocese over the purchase. Bishop at the time Rt Rev Richard Lewis couldn't resist leaping over the fence to get to the new centre!
Work on the conversion started in 2004 and the centre opened in spring 2005. Since then it has become a major part of the Ipswich landscape - and was seen as an oasis of calm in the heart of a bustling commercial area.
As well as conferences and exhibitions, the former church has also been used for concerts and other events.
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