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The National Churches Trust helps a wide range of buildings, each fascinating and unique in its own way. Here is a small selection of recent grant offers (to see some earlier grants, please click here to skip down the page)
Come-to-Good Friends Meeting House, Feock, Cornwall. £50,000
Purpose: roof repairs.
Come-to-Good Friends Meeting House, Feock, Cornwall.
Set in its own grounds, the tiny settlement at Come-to-Good consists of one or two houses and the Meeting House. The peaceful white building with its simple interior and thatched roof was built in 1710, although some of the windows have recently been dated to the early 17th century. The Meeting House in its beautiful setting attracts around 3,000 visitors each year. The Trust awarded a grant of £50,000 to support this important Grade I listed building in an urgent repair to the thatched roof.
St Magnus, Lerwick, Shetland Islands. £30,000
Purpose: roof, gutter and stonework repairs.
St Magnus, Lerwick, Shetland Islands.
Grade II listed St Magnus has stood in Lerwick since 1863. The building contains notable stained glass, including the most northern example of work by Sir Ninian Comper. People from all over the Shetland Islands worship and meet here, and the church is a vital part of the local community, working with a wide cross-section of local groups. St Magnus is the recipient of the Trust’s first grant in Scotland: £30,000 towards roof, gutter, window and stonework repairs.
St John at Hackney, London. £45,000
Purpose: essential tower repairs.
St John at Hackney, London.
St John at Hackney is an important landmark in a deprived but vibrant area of London. The spacious interior has the capacity to seat up to 1,200 and offers excellent acoustics. Concerned with creating a sense of local continuity and civic pride, the hard working team managing the church are at the forefront of local regeneration working with local agencies; in an area associated with youth knife crime they are particularly working closely with young people. The current Grade II listed building dates to the late 18th century, but it contains older monuments from the former church building important to the history of Hackney. £45,000 was awarded by the Trust towards essential work to the tower.
The Little Chapel, Rodborough, Tabernacle United Reformed Church, Stroud, Gloucestershire. £20,000
Purpose: roof repairs.
The Little Chapel, Rodborough, Tabernacle United Reformed Church, Stroud, Gloucestershire.
The Little Chapel, formerly the church coach house, was converted in the 1920s by local Arts and Crafts movement craftsmen Henry Payne and the Barnsley Brothers and is widely considered a fine example of the genre. The Little Chapel currently forms part of the listed group of buildings which make up Rodborough Tabernacle URC, which includes the 18th century main church building, Little Chapel, and the Manse. Little Chapel is the meeting venue for a number of local groups including the scouts, cubs and Beavers, a local playgroup and the local choir. £20,000 was given by the Trust towards the cost of roof repairs.
All Saints, Maidstone, Kent. £40,000
Purpose: roof, gutter and parapet repairs.
All Saints, Maidstone, Kent.
The Parish Church of the county town of Kent was largely built by Archbishop Courtenay during the 14th century and is one of the largest and finest Perpendicular churches in England. In the 19th Century the single parish of All Saints was divided as other parish churches were built to serve the newly built districts of the town. Today, All Saints remains the municipal church and serves a relatively poor district of Maidstone to the south of the town as well as the town centre itself. Turn of the century alterations were carried out under the direction of the Victorian architect John Loughborough Pearson. The Trust awarded a grant of £40,000 towards the second stage of restoration of the south nave roof.
St James, Bristol, Kent. £100,000
Purpose: creation of new café and piazza area, conversion of north aisle, improvements to layout
An appeal to save Bristol’s oldest building has been awarded a £100,000 grant from the National Churches Trust after being hailed “a shining example of nationally important heritage work”.
The sum given to St James Priory Heritage Appeal represents the largest sum granted by the National Churches Trust last year.
It will go towards funding the dramatic restoration of the 12th Century building, which is located in Bristol’s city centre.
The appeal aims to raise £2 million to go alongside a £3.2 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the £100,000 grant brings them more than half-way towards this £2 million mark.
Development plans to open St James Priory to the community include:
- The creation of a new café and outside piazza area providing refreshment and hospitality for visitors to the city and the local business community
- The conversion of the North Aisle to provide facilities for business, schools, organisations and individuals to utilise
- Improvements to the internal layout of the building to provide more flexible space
Alison Pollard, Grants Manager from National Churches Trust said:
“St James Priory is not only important to the city of Bristol, but is a shining example of nationally important church heritage work going hand in hand with a community project of the utmost quality and value.
“The National Churches Trust promotes the use of these buildings by congregations and the wider community and advocates the conservation of places of worship of historic value for the use and enjoyment of future generations. We hope that this grant will enable this church to continue for the next 900 years.”
Brian Hanson, Trustee and Chair of the Appeal, said:
“We are absolutely delighted at the level of commitment from the National Churches Trust and grateful for their interest and support in the St James Heritage Appeal. Not only has the award taken us to the halfway point in our efforts but it has also brought with it a wealth of inspiration and renewed enthusiasm to everyone involved.
“We are looking forward to the next stage of the Appeal and raising another £1million.”
Some earlier grants
St Peter, Darwen, Lancashire. £20,000
Purpose: roof, gutter and parapet repairs.
St Peter, Darwen, Lancashire.
St Peter is a Grade II* listed church built in 1827-29 and is the work of Thomas Rickman who was also architect of New Court, St John's College, Cambridge. The Church is correctly orientated in accordance with ecclesiastical convention: the tower is situated at the west end, the nave is of a good size and flanked by aisles either side. There are galleries supported off cast iron columns with seating to three sides. The meeting space, formed some time ago after a re-ordering of the west end, is used regularly throughout the week for groups from the local community.
St Peter, Lenton, Lincolnshire. £40,000
Purpose: structural repairs to spire and roof and stonework.
St Peter, Lenton, Lincolnshire.
Architecturally, this Grade I listed church consists of three periods: Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. The last major restoration was carried out in 1879. Pevsner mentions it in his 'Buildings of England', with particular reference to the Armyne Monument in the chancel. St Peter is important to the community, who have no village hall and are enthusiastic about maintaining their church for future generations.
Holy Trinity, Hartshill, Warwickshire. £1,500
Purpose: window repairs.
Holy Trinity, Hartshill, Warwickshire.
Holy Trinity was built between 1841-48 and is of unusual design. The west doorway is massively imposing with a Norman-style arch over 6 orders of columns and a large spoked window above. The parish serves former colliery and agricultural dwellings with a more recent infill of modern housing. The church has a policy of being open to the community and there is much activity on the premises during the week, including a thriving carer/toddler group and an over 50s club with 30+ members. Holy Trinity also sponsors youth workers as mentors in the local High School.
Our Lady St Mary, South Creake, Norfolk. £1,500
Purpose: urgent roof repairs.
Our Lady St Mary, South Creake, Norfolk.
This Grade I large medieval parish church serves a rural community and is used regularly for concerts, recitals and other parish activities. The tall aisle windows, clerestories and impressive angel roof were added in celebration of the victory at Agincourt. Internal features include a fine carved screen, a rare, but savagely mutilated Seven Sacrament font and early glass.
All Saints, Stanton, Suffolk. £7,000
Purpose: replacement of unsafe flooring.
All Saints, Stanton, Suffolk.
All Saints is Grade II* listed and was built between 1320 and about 1370. Major restoration in 1870 retained all the original features. The south aisle is particularly fine with ball-flower decoration outside and within a fine piscina and tomb recess. The chancel arch is very high and slender and the south porch forms the base of a 14thC tower originally standing alone. Standing in the centre of the village, All Saints is used by the local primary school and also houses a monthly Sunday School. There is a good working relationship with Stanton Methodist Church.
St Mary, Tunstead, Norfolk. £5,500
Purpose: extensive roof repairs.
St Mary, Tunstead, Norfolk.
Built in the early 14th century, this Grade I church in the Decorated and Perpendicular style features original 14th century ironwork, and flushwork arcading instead of windows in the Clerestory. A platform behind the altar with a vault beneath is a unique feature and the church also contains a painted screen from 1470 with a rood beam above. St Mary's is known as one of the great 'wool churches' unique to this part of Norfolk.
St Michael & All Angels, Brinkworth, Wiltshire. £5,000
Purpose: extensive roof and masonry repairs.
St Michael & All Angels, Brinkworth, Wiltshire.
This Grade I building of the Perpendicular Style (1360-1500) has evolved through several additions and rebuilding. The tower and chancel were probably rebuilt in 14th century, and nave and south aisle in the early 15th, when the north aisle and porch were also added. There is a fine medieval wagon roof, good stained glass and examples of wall paintings dating from medieval to the 18th century. An imposing 20th century organ has been recently refurbished.
St Andrew, Alwington, Devon. £4,500
Purpose: investigation and repair of roof structure.
St Andrew, Alwington, Devon.
The origins of this Grade I church are unknown, but there is evidence that a church was on the site in the 13th century. At the corner of the tower there is still the base of a 13th century preaching cross which is a National Scheduled Monument. The south aisle is associated with the Pine-Coffin family, formerly of Portledge House, and records show an unbroken line of Patrons of the church from the male line of the family. The church is acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful in North Devon, set in a rural and relatively isolated location. There are no shops or public houses at Alwington, so the church has become the natural 'community centre' for a small local population.
St Mabli, Llanvapley, Monmouthshire. £2,500
Purpose: roof and drain repairs, repointing of walls.
St Mabli, Llanvapley, Monmouthshire.
The Book of Llandaff records the church being given by a local ruler Brithigon Hael to the Bishop of Llandaff in 860AD. The oldest parts of the fabric date from 1250 with much of it 15th Century. It is of rubble stone with sandstone dressings and stone tiled roofs, with some original tracery and a fine tower with two 17th C bells. The nave has a 16th C wagon vaulted roof and Norman font, and the chancel has an unusual 13th C double bowl piscina and carved 17th and 18th C memorial floor slabs. The south porch has a medieval holy water stoup and in the churchyard is the base of a medieval preaching cross listed Grade II*. Llanvapley is a village of about 35 houses with surrounding farms. It has no shop, and the pub is among 5 in the immediate area which have closed in the last few years. The church closed in late 2004 when the roof became dangerous. Immediate repairs, supported by CADW and local funding meant the church could re-open in April 2006. The PCC runs social events throughout the year.
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