St. Julian's Church, Norwich

Saint Julian's Church, a historic round-tower church built in the 11th and 12th centuries, stands as one of Norwich's architectural treasures. Among the 31 surviving parish churches out of 58 originally constructed in the city following the Norman conquest, it retains a unique connection to one of the most influential figures in Christian mysticism, Julian of Norwich.

The church, dedicated to Saint Julian-either the Hospitaller or of Le Mans-is historically linked to Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century anchoress and theologian. From her cell in the churchyard, she wrote Revelations of Divine Love, the first known English book by a woman. The cell was overseen by Carrow Abbey, whose prioress, possibly Edith Wilton, supported Julian's work.

The anchorite tradition continued at Saint Julian's, with Julian(a) Lampet occupying the cell for 50 years starting in 1428, during the tenure of Margaret Pygot as prioress. This spiritual legacy connects the church to a profound period of contemplative devotion.

By the mid-19th century, the church suffered a structural collapse, including its east wall in 1845. Destroyed again in the 1942 Norwich Blitz, it was rebuilt by A.J. Chaplin and reopened in 1953 as a shrine to Julian of Norwich. The restoration retained its original style but included a shorter tower and a chapel in place of the anchorite cell.

Constructed from flint with stone and brick dressings and topped with a pantile roof, the building consists of a nave, a single-bay chancel, a south chapel with a vestry, and the distinctive circular west tower. The tower houses a bell from around 1500, rehung in 1992, while the church interior boasts an organ by Henry Jones, dating to 1860 and installed in 1966.

Today, Saint Julian’s is not only a place of worship but a center for reflection and pilgrimage. The Friends of Julian maintain a shop and lending library nearby, fostering the enduring legacy of this remarkable church and its connections to Julian of Norwich's spiritual insights.