With its glowing golden dome and white-washed walls, it is unique among Norfolk’s many churches.
And now the Orthodox church of Saint Fursey’s in the north Norfolk town of Stalham has finally been consecrated.
Around 40 people attended a service at the Yarmouth Road place of worship, including London-based Bishop Silouan Oner, who is originally from Syria.
Subdeacon William Harrison said: “It was a fantastic day - this is the culmination of a few years’ work”.
Construction of the church - which is attached to a former police station - was finished late last year.
It is the realisation of a dream of Father Steven Weston, a former Anglian priest who started a tiny Orthodox chapel in the back garden of his Stalham home in 2012.
Work on the new building started several years ago, based on the design of another church that was built in the Fourth Century.
It is named after Saint Fursey, an Irish monk who spread Orthodox Christianity in East Anglia and built a monastery in Burgh Castle.
Mr Harrison said the church’s congregation came from all over Norfolk and beyond, and it was hosting services and events every week.
He said the key part of the service was the consecration of the altar stone.
Mr Harrison said: “It is unusual to see this enormous, Byzantine-style church on the side of an old police station, and some people were perplexed at what was going on.
“We believe that the Orthodox church is the original expression of the Christian church.
“The service itself is ancient and dates back to the time of Constantine the Great and his dedication of the Church of the Holy Apostles in circa 330AD.
"Father Stephen, the parish priest, and his congregation were overjoyed to see the completion of this work in building this incredible church.”
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