The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968.[1] The legally defined object of the Trust is "the preservation, in the interests of the nation and the Church of England, of churches and parts of churches of historic and archaeological interest or architectural quality vested in the Fund ... together with their contents so vested".[2] The charity cares for over 350 churches.[1] The Trust is financed partly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Church Commissioners, but grants from those bodies were frozen in 2001, since when additional funding has come from other sources, including the general public. In the 12 months ending 31 March 2010 the charity's income was £6,161,653, and its spending was £6,035,871. During that year it had 44 employees, and used the services of 2,000 volunteers.[3] The charity is run by a board of trustees, who delegate the day-to-day management to a chief executive and his senior management team.[4]
The Trust's primary aim is to ensure that the buildings in its care are weatherproof and to prevent any deterioration in their condition. The majority of the churches remain consecrated, and are used often for occasional services where this is practical, while some are venues for concerts and other purposes. Local communities are encouraged to use them for appropriate activities and events, and the buildings provide an educational resource center, allowing children and young people to study history and architecture. Nearly 2 million people visit the Trust's churches each year.[1]
The church is built on the site of the former Roman town of Viroconium. It dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period, and contains large stones which came from the public buildings of the Roman town. Additions and alterations were made to it from the 12th to the 19th centuries, but by the end of the 19th century most of the local people had moved away. Its font was constructed from the base of a former Roman column.[7][8][9][10]
Holy Trinity Church stands in the grounds of the demolished Blatherwycke Hall. As a result of additions and alterations made between the medieval period and later, most of its architecture is Gothic, but it still retains Norman features, including two doorways, a bell opening, the tower arch, and the arcades.[11][12][13]
The church is built close to a ford crossing the River Trent on the Roman road between Lincoln and York. It is a simple church in Norman style, and has been little altered since, other than the addition of a vestry in 1832 and restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries.[14][15]
Standing in an isolated position in a field, this is a Norman church with a simple plan. It contains 13th-century wall paintings, and a reconstructed Roman altar.[16][17][18]
The Norman tower is the only remaining part of the church, which was originally a chapel of St Oswald's Priory in Gloucester. In 1875 all the church, except for the tower, was demolished and rebuilt, but its fabric deteriorated during the 20th century. The church became redundant in 1972 and, apart from the tower, it was demolished in 1975.[19][20][21]
This simple church stands on a steep bank above a stream at the end of a winding lane. It was replaced in 1877 by another church with the same dedication in a nearby village. The building was then neglected, and it was used at one time as a farm building. Since 1990 it has been repaired, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[22][23][24]
Alterations and additions were made in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, and most of the church is in Perpendicular style. In the church are remnants of walls paintings, some 15th-century stained glass, and a memorial with worn effigies.[30][31][32]
The church is "long, low and massive",[36] and includes Norman and Gothic features. The nave dates from the mid-12th century, the clerestory from the 15th century, the tower from the 17th century, and the chancel and north transept from about 1730.[36][37][38][39]
Following additions and alterations in the 14th and 15th centuries, the tower and the west end of the nave were demolished in the 18th century. Some of the windows contain Decoratedtracery; the tracery in other windows is Perpendicular. Inside the church are corbels with medieval carvings, and partly hidden 14th-century memorials.[40][41][42]
A small building standing in a field, this former parish church is distinguished by a Norman south doorway, and by layers of paintings on its internal walls.[46][47]
The lower part of the tower dates from the 12th century, but much of the rest of the church is from the 14th century. Repairs were carried out in 1764, 1890 and 1912. In 1820, Thomas Arnold, later headmaster of Rugby School, was married in the church.[48][49][50]
Dating from the 12th century, the church served a village that became deserted when the road from London to Northampton was diverted away from it. The church closed in 1920, and was used for storage of the archives of the Northampton Record Society during the Second World War, when its windows were destroyed by a bomb.[51][52][53]
The church stands adjacent to Kedleston Hall, which has been occupied by the Curzon family for over 700 years. When the present hall was built in 1759, the area occupied by the village of Kedleston was replaced by parkland. Inside the church are 35 monuments to the Curzon family.[54][55][56][57]
When the church was built, it stood at the heart of the city, but later businesses and people moved to other parts of the city. By the 19th century its fabric had deteriorated, and a series of repairs and restorations was carried out. In the 1960s the church became isolated by a new road system, and it closed in 1982.[58][59][60]
Originally a chapel of ease to Holy Trinity, Much Wenlock, it was built in the 12th century, with the tower added later in that century. Its architectural style is almost all Norman, and it has a simple plan, consisting of a nave, a chancel, and a west tower. The church was restored by Arthur Blomfield in 1858. It is constructed in local sandstone, and has tiled roofs.[61][62][63]
St Mary's is a simple church, consisting of a nave and a chancel. Alterations were made to it in the 18th century. It contains box pews and an octagonal pulpit with a sounding board.[64][65]
This is one of only two churches in Gloucestershire with a hexagonal tower. The tower is Norman in style and probably dates from the 12th century. The chancel and nave were added during the following century. There are fragments of medieval stained glass in the east window.[68][69][70]
Pendock Church stands in an isolated position overlooking the M50 motorway. To its north are the earthworks of a former medieval village. Alterations and additions were made in the 14th century and again in the 15th century, when the west tower was built.[71][72]
The church fell into disuse after the Reformation. It became a ruin, and was partly demolished; the chancel was used as a dog kennel, and the tower as a pigeon house. It was extensively repaired in about 1622, and further repairs and restorations have been carried out since then.[73][74][75][76]
What now remains was originally the chancel of a medievalparish church. A new church was added to it in 1866, most of which was demolished in 1973, leaving the present single-cell building. Many of the carved wooden fittings in the church were made by Rev E. D. Poole, the vicar of the church in the 19th century.[77][78][79]
The church stands close to the castle and the village, both of which are named Richard's Castle, near to the Wales–England border.[80][81] The tower is detached from the main body of the church, and is separately designated as a Grade I listed building.[82]
St Mary's is the largest church in Shrewsbury. It originated as a collegiate church in the 12th century. Additions and alterations were made during the following centuries. In about 1792 a major restoration was carried out by Thomas Telford. The top fell from the spire in 1894, and this was repaired by John Oldrid Scott. The church was declared redundant in 1987.[83][84][85][86]
The church is dedicated to the patron saints of physicians and surgeons. It is almost as wide as it is long, and consists of two naves and two chancels in parallel under a single roof, and a south porch.[91][92]
Standing on a remote hillside, the church includes features of Norman architecture such as the south doorway, the arcade of the former north aisle (which has been demolished), the chancel arch, and some of the windows. It also contains a wall painting dating from about 1200.[97][98][99]
Set in hilly countryside, this simple church has a Normannave, doorway and font. The bellcote was added in the 13th century, and the chancel was probably rebuilt in the 19th century.[103][104]
This was originally a parish church that closed in 1841 when a new church was built on a different site. It stands at the end of a winding lane close to a farmhouse. Its basic architectural style is Norman, with alterations in the 13th century and later; the bellcote was added in about 1600.[105][106][107]
The north arcade is in Norman style, while the south arcade is Gothic. The tower was added in the 15th century. The aisles were demolished in the 16th century, but rebuilt as part of a restoration in 1862–63.[108][109]
St Andrew's stands in the grounds of Cranford Hall, and contains a Norman north arcade. Additions were made during the later centuries in Gothic style. A north transept was built in 1847 to accommodate a family pew for the occupants of the hall.[112][113][114][115]
Built towards the end of the 12th century, the church was largely rebuilt during the following century, retaining some of its Norman features. The tower and spire were added in the 15th century, but the spire sustained a direct hit by cannon fire in 1643 during the Civil War. It was reduced in height and capped in 1783, the truncated spire becoming a landmark in the city. The church was repaired following a fire in 1901, the tower was stabilised in 1927, and the north aisle was rebuilt in 1935–38.[116][117][118]
The church contains a Norman north arcade, with later Gothic additions, including a Perpendicular tower. Since being declared redundant, it has been found necessary to repair the north aisle.[119][120][121]
Originating in the 13th century, additions were made during the following two centuries, including a chantry chapel for the Chambre family in 1488–89. It has been disused as a church since the 1890s and was declared redundant in 1976, since when it has been used as an architectural museum.[122][123][124][125]
Dating from the 13th century, the church has a tower with a saddleback roof. The north aisle was added in 1892. In the porch is a chronogram hiding the date of the execution of Charles I. Inside the church is a memorial to the architect Detmar Blow consisting of a carving by Eric Gill.[126][127]
Originating in the 13th century, the church was largely rebuilt in the 15th century, financed by money from the wool trade. In the 18th century the industry moved away from area around the church, leaving it isolated. The church has a castellated tower with a saddleback roof.[130][131]
The tower and chancel date from the 13th century, the aisles were added in the 14th century, and in the following century the clerestory was built and the height of the chancel was raised. Further alterations took place during the 19th century.[134][135]
The church now stands in an isolated position and it is thought that it originally served a village which became deserted. It then became the estate church of the Scudamore family living nearby at Holme Lacy House. Its fabric originates from the 13th century, but the tower was added in the 14th century, and a chapel and porch during the following century.[137][138][139][140][141]
Additions and alterations were made to the church in the 14th, 15th and 19th centuries. The arcades differ in that the north arcade is carried on low cylindrical pillars with circular capitals, while the south arcade has taller octagonal pillars with detached shafts.[142][143]
This is one of only two churches dedicated to Saint Arild. It is approached across fields or through a farmyard. Most of its fabric dates from the 15th or early 16th century and is in Perpendicular style.[144][145][146]
The north arcade dates from the 13th century, the tower was built in 1504, and additions and alterations were made in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Restorations were carried out in the 19th century. The stained glass includes a series of windows by the Kempe studio.[147][148]
By the 17th century the fabric of the church had decayed and it was closed; in the 19th century it was being used as a cowshed. The church was repaired in 1883–84 by the rector and his wife, but later deteriorated again, and services were discontinued. It was repaired again in 1929 by the then patron of the benefice, and was used occasionally. In 2005 the church was declared redundant.[149][150][151][152]
St Peter's stands in a field surrounded by a number of mounds resulting from the remains of a deserted village, disused canal workings, and a redundant railway line. It was largely rebuilt in the 14th century, the clerestory was added in the following century, and the tower was built in the later part of the 16th century. A mausoleum was added to the east end of the church in 1848.[153][154][155]
The chapel is all that remains of a former church, most of which was demolished in 1802. It was originally the south chancel chapel of that church, and was preserved because it was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury. It is now the mortuary chapel of the Talbot family.[156][157][158]
All Saints is constructed in building materials of differing colours, including orange, white and red. The tower was added in the 15th century and is surmounted by a truncated spire. The chancel was rebuilt in 1819, and the south porch was added in the 19th century.[161][162][163]
After it was declared redundant in the 1950s, the fabric of the church deteriorated. In 1977 the body of the church was partly demolished and converted into a house, leaving the tower standing. The tower has four stages, and is surmounted by a saddleback roof on top of which is a spirelet.[164][165]
The church contains fragments of masonry from an earlier church building on the site. It was restored in 1863, and again in 1910. The chancel screen and the lectern were originally in Great Malvern Priory and were moved here at the time of the 1910 restoration.[166][167]
All Saints stands adjacent to Spetchley Park. The south chapel was added in 1614 by Sir Rowland Berkeley, the owner of the hall, and the tower was probably built later that century. The chapel contains a series of monuments to the Berkeley family. The largest is to Sir Rowland and his wife, and consists of two effigies on a tomb chest under a coffered arch, flanked by obelisks.[171][172]
Built mainly in stone, the whole of the exterior of the church is rendered. The chancel contains monuments to the Russell family dating from the later part of the 14th century. The west gallery has been reconstructed from a 15th or 16th-century oak rood screen. It is elaborately carved and on its front are 23 painted panels.[173][174][175]
The tower was added in the 15th century and the clerestory during the following century. The spire was rebuilt in 1889, and the church was restored in 1911. It contains a full set of 18th-century box pews, and a carved alabaster grave slab dated 1489.[176][177]
St Mary's is built on the site of the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. It was intended to act as a chantry chapel, but in 1410 it was re-founded as a college of priests. Following the Chantries Act, the college was closed in 1548, and St Mary's became a parish church. After the collapse of its roof, the nave was abandoned during the 18th century, and the chancel was restored in neoclassical style. Between 1860 and 1862 the church was restored and a mortuary chapel was added.[178][179][180][181][182]
The aisles of the church were badly damaged when stored ammunition was ignited by cannon fire during the Civil War in 1646. The roof of the nave was rebuilt in 1662, but the aisles were not restored until a series of restorations and reconstructions were carried out in the 19th century. A library was added to the north side of the chancel in 1878.[183][184][185][186]
The tower dates from the 15th century, but between 1734 and 1736 the rest of the church was rebuilt and the tower was refaced. It is considered to be a good example of early Georgian church architecture, and contains 18th-century fittings, including the box pews, the font, and the three-decker pulpit. Since being declared redundant, it has been used for as a venue for special services, ceremonies and concerts.[187][188][189][190]
St Lawrence's is one of two churches built in the town in the 12th century by the Benedictine monks of Evesham Abbey. Following the Reformation, this church followed a low church tradition and thus attracted a poorer congregation. The fabric of the church deteriorated, and by 1718 it had become unusable and was abandoned. Major rebuilding work took place in 1836–37 and the church re-opened, but during the 20th century the size of its congregation declined, and in 1978 it was declared redundant.[191][192][193][194]
This was originally the private chapel for Withcote Hall, but later became a parish church. It was restored and refurbished in 1744, and almost all the internal fittings date from the 18th century. The seating is arranged along the sides in the style of a college chapel, and the reredos is in Renaissance style. The stained glass, dating from 1530 to 1540, is attributed to Galeon Hone, a glazier who worked for Henry VIII.[195][196][197]
The tower of a former church was rebuilt in 1601 followed by the chancel in 1699. The chancel and tower are under the care of the CCT.
The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1893–94 by Sir Arthur Blomfield. It was declared redundant in 1990 and later converted for commercial use.[198][199] It was reopened as a church building in 2017.[200]
St Peter's Church was divided in about 1970 to provide a dual function. Its nave and tower form an active parish church, while the chancel and the transepts are under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. The oldest part of the church is the north transept, built in 1635–36 as a burial chapel for the Needham family. The cast iron window frames were made in the nearby Severn Gorge. The font is Norman and it carries a medieval inscription.[201][202][203][204]
This Georgian church formerly served the village of Billesley and the occupants of the nearby Billesley Hall. Its south transept was originally a family pew, and it contains a fireplace. Also in the transept are two pieces of carved stone dating from the 12th century.[205][206][207]
St Mary's was designed by James Gibbs for Sir John Astley, and replaced an earlier medieval church on the site. Additions made in 1874 include a north aisle, a bell tower, and a dome. It contains memorials to the Astley family.[208][209][210]
The church replaced an older church nearby, and was paid for by Uvedale Price and his son Robert Price. Its main architect was George Moore, but the rector Rev R. L. Freer designed the spire and fittings inside the church. It contains memorials to Sir Uvedale Price, Sir Robert Price, and Rev Freer.[220][221][222]
St John's stands on a steep hillside. It was built in 1868 on the site of an earlier church to a design by Charles Buckeridge. The architectural style of the church, other than the north arcade which is Norman, is Gothic Revival in the style of the early 14th century.[226][227][228][229]
St Peter's is known for its massive Norman chancel arch and the sexpartite vaulting in the chancel. The building was rebuilt in 1792 at the expense of Miss Eliza Wingfield by the architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell.[232]
A The dates given for construction are often not exactly known. Where this is the case the century of first construction of the existing building is given.
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