The church is medieval but became redundant in 1544 when its parish was absorbed by
St George's, Tombland. In the mid-1560s,St Mary the Less was assigned as their bay hall to 24 Dutch masters representing the first of the
Elizabethan Strangers in Norwich. The building was used as a wool hall where Dutch merchants sold cloth. In 1637 it was converted into a church for
Walloon and
French Protestants,
l’Église Protestante Française de Norwich or
the French Church, Norwich. Pastors at this time included
John Bruckner and
Joseph Nicol Scott. In 1989 it was sold into private ownership by the Norwich French Church Charity. It is on the Historic England
Heritage at Risk Register, which says it is "currently used as an historical studies centre but not easily accessible. The building is thought to be in need of repair, especially the roof". ==Gallery==