# Event Details - **Event Name**: Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 17 Oct, 2026 at 02:00 pm – Sat, 17 Oct, 2026 at 03:00 pm (+01:00) - **Event Description**: What was a church actually used for in the middle ages?About this EventWhat was a church actually used for in the middle ages? Although we tend to think of churches primarily as places of worship, in some cases medieval church buildings were remarkably versatile spaces. People sometimes slept in them, ate and drank, traded goods, held meetings and conducted legal proceedings, and on occasion even played games and danced. Drawing on evidence from medieval England, this talk explores the surprisingly varied ways in which church buildings were experienced and used, and asks how these activities related to the buildings' primary religious functions. From pilgrims sleeping beside saints' shrines to church ales, market stalls and occasionally unruly congregations, the evidence reveals a world in which the boundary between sacred and secular was far less clear-cut than some might imagine. Along the way, we will consider how the architecture of a church shaped different kinds of activity, and how the everyday experiences of medieval worshippers sometimes collided with the conception of the church as a sacred space.Dr Oliver Coulson is Head of Heritage, Conservation and Operations at Norwich Historic Churches Trust. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/newark-on-trent/sacred-and-secular-the-many-uses-of-church-buildings-in-the-middle-ages/100001998942808751 - **Event Categories**: meetups, art, fine-arts - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 1 hour - Location: St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 7.5, max: 7.5, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Newark-on-Trent - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent - **lat**: 53.0766722 - **long**: -0.8082138999999999 - **full address**: St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/5bb0a4a89a7812b7881ea3c88e4a80058c73e312cf85ba54cd4693ee70bf3d50-rimg-w1200-h675-dc080808-gmir.jpg?v=1787895072 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages being held? - **A:** Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages takes place on Sat, 17 Oct, 2026 at 02:00 pm to Sat, 17 Oct, 2026 at 03:00 pm at St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages? - **A:** Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages is organized by St Mary Magdalene, Newark. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Newark-on-Trent, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Sacred and Secular: The many uses of Church Buildings in the Middle Ages", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/5bb0a4a89a7812b7881ea3c88e4a80058c73e312cf85ba54cd4693ee70bf3d50-rimg-w1200-h675-dc080808-gmir.jpg?v=1787895072", "startDate": "2026-10-17T14:00:00+01:00", "endDate": "2026-10-17T15:00:00+01:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/newark-on-trent/sacred-and-secular-the-many-uses-of-church-buildings-in-the-middle-ages/100001998942808751", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent", "postalCode": "NG24 1JS", "addressLocality": "Newark-on-Trent", "addressRegion": "EN", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "53.0766722", "longitude": "-0.8082138999999999" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "What was a church actually used for in the middle ages?", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-08-28", "availabilityEnds": "2026-10-17T15:00:00+01:00", "validFrom": "2026-08-28", "lowPrice": "7.50", "highPrice": "7.50", "price": "7.50", "url": "https://allevents.in/newark-on-trent/sacred-and-secular-the-many-uses-of-church-buildings-in-the-middle-ages/100001998942808751" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-08-28", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-08-28", "url": "https://allevents.in/newark-on-trent/sacred-and-secular-the-many-uses-of-church-buildings-in-the-middle-ages/100001998942808751", "price": "7.50", "name": "General Admission" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "St Mary Magdalene Newark", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/st-mary-magdalene-newark/24649648", "description": "St Mary Magdalene is the Parish Church at the heart of Newark-on-Trent, and has been for more than 800 years. he centuries have taken their toll on the church, and now the building is on the Heritage at Risk Register. This year, with thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and the Church of England, vital work will be taking place to repair the fabric of St Mary’s to ensure that it continues to stand at the heart of Newark for another 800 years." } ] } ] ```