spotlight ON churches

Marcus Binney

2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the as Director of the museum exhibition Change and Decay: The Future of our commissioned two trustees of the newly Churches, at the Victoria and Albert Museum. formed SAVE, Peter Burman and I, to curate Though not as famous as its predecessor the exhibition in succession to the first The Destruction of the Country House, it was exhibition curated by , Peter extremely influential, and SAVE organised a Thornton and I. large travelling version which toured the Within three weeks of the opening of country for three years, shown at museums Change and Decay in June came the surprise and galleries, and cathedrals too. announcement from the government that

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historic buildings grants for outstanding on to the famous Hall of Destruction. Change churches ie Grade I and II* would begin and Decay began with a harrowing large format immediately, increasing substantially in the slide show of demolition followed by the following full financial year. Until then there glories of church art and positive examples had long been a stand-off between Church of rescue and reuse. (ie Church of England) and State on the basis It became apparent at quite a late stage that of no control, no grants. the real crisis was the accelerating number of The Church of England had its own system churches (especially Anglican) standing empty of faculty jurisdiction and had fiercely argued or facing imminent closure. In too many cases in the debate on the first Ancient Monuments this led to precipitate demolition as the Church Bill in Parliament in 1913 against any Commissioners’ Advisory Board for Redundant additional controls over their church buildings Churches could fast track demolition if they from central government. For years this had considered a church of lesser historic interest, seemed an impossible deadlock and it had the thereby excluding any chance to search for new unfortunate side effect that grants were denied owners or new uses. to all places of worship, notably Roman On examination, we found many of these Catholic churches and Nonconformist chapels, lesser churches were buildings of real quality many of which were badly in need of major and character, many Victorian, but some repair. They did not have the fundraising earlier. We went to war with the Church capacity of the Church of England, and received Commissioners, which had the memorable little from organisations such as the Historic outcome at a reception of a Church Church Preservation Trust which gave mainly Commissioners official saying to me “we’ll to Anglican parish churches. have your blood Mr Binney!” The research for Change and Decay, carried The travelling version of Change and Decay out by my wife Anne, centred initially on consisted of 80 six foot high panels which compiling a list of notable churches lost over opened like books to reveal magnificent the preceding century on the model of the photographs of churches, lost, decayed and stupendous list of lost country houses revived. compiled by John Harris. The church list The second great focus of the exhibition became a huge affair and local authorities was also covered in the book Peter Burman produced awesome lists of lost churches – 36 and I wrote for the British Tourist Authority listed churches which had been demolished in Chapels and Churches: Who Cares? In this we Glasgow, 50 historic churches demolished in explored the architecture and history of all the Liverpool and 23 in Bristol – not all listed then many other denominations from Calvinist though many would have qualified if they had Methodists to Wee Frees in Scotland. survived. SAVE participated directly in the exhibition Barry Mazur the designer of the exhibition, with a lightning report on Churches at Risk, changed the format. The Destruction of the which was followed by a series of reports on Country House began with celebration and went endangered churches including The Fate of a

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Thousand Churches, The Fall of Sion and Churches: Rackheath in Norfolk. We fought successfully A question of Conversion. As always SAVE’s for the beautiful 18th century church in approach was not just broad brush. We took up Worcester built for the Countess of the cause of individual churches at risk. Peter Huntingdon’s Connexion (then run by the Burman organised a collection at the exotically named Wilfred De’ath). exhibition which raised £7,000 pounds to A bigger loss loomed in the form of the repair the roof of the little medieval church at threat of demolition to Gilbert Scott’s All Souls

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Photo: All Souls, Haley Hill by Alastair Wallace via www.mapio.net

Haley Hill in Halifax, which he had described trustees had felt it was wrong to give money to as, “on the whole my best church”. The Church redundant churches when so many churches Commissioners and the diocese had been told still used for worship were in need. Our other that the spire of All Souls was dangerous and main supporter was the Marquess of Anglesey, decided to make its demolition a test case. whose many pithy postcards of support are SAVE held a rally in the staircase of Scott’s treasures of our archive. Midland Hotel at St Pancras (then all dust and Once the work was complete All Souls was cobwebs) where we formed the Friends of vested in the Churches Conservation Trust. Haley Hill followed by the All Souls Haley SAVE went on to fight a series of church Hill Trust. battles, saving the Roman Catholic Church of St We saved All Souls thanks first to our Francis Xavier in Liverpool (now fully in use splendid and appropriately named architect for worship, its outstanding architecture is Donald Buttress (who as a result went on to be now acknowledged and admired complete Surveyor to Westminster Abbey), and second with SAVE’s own stained glass window). Lord Charteris, chairman of the National Another church saved on death row was the Memorial Heritage Fund who used his casting Clifton Congregational Church in Bristol, vote to award us a grant of £300,000 towards converted to apartments but leaving the the repair of the roof and spire. Some of the exterior substantially unchanged.

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Government grants for church repair grants of up to £100,000 in contrast to the have dramatically improved the outlook for previous two-stage application process historic churches. When Change and Decay currently required under GPOW. Grants will be opened in 1977 parish church Declarations of available not just for repairs but for a wider Redundancy were running at 80 to 90 a year. range of activities and capital works. Churches Soon after the rate slowed to 20 a year where it needing higher levels of grant (for example to has remained. Through repair grants English repair a large roof), will be required to apply for Heritage (EH) gave a secure future to hundreds a Heritage Grant which will immediately put of churches and when disproportionate cuts them in competition with applications from in its annual grant-in-aid from Government major heritage attractions and museums. The began to threaten the programme the Heritage volunteers who look after churches will be Lottery Fund (HLF) stepped in with a Joint matched against the professional advisors Places of Worship Scheme. Yet EH funds which these larger bodies retain and can afford. continued to be cut year on year in real terms Churches will find it hard to compete in such and some five years ago the HLF took over an environment. church grants in their entirety. The great bonus The champions (and owners) of historic of the HLF Grants for Places of Worship churches and the many volunteers which (GPOW) programme was that grants of up to support them are up in arms. First they were £250,000 could be given for urgent fabric not consulted, only informed of these repairs. The roof is the heart of any historic momentous changes shortly before they were building. Neglect it and it is very soon in announced. Second a great many large serious trouble. The test for GPOW was the medieval and 19th century churches are faced need for repair with less emphasis on the usual with repairs bills of well over £100,000 (usually lottery tests of outreach and public roofs) and will find themselves dealing with engagement. As a result congregations could the much more complex application process get the essential repair work done and many for larger grants. They feel doubly trapped as parish churches are in better repair than they the grants they are seeking will be at the have been for centuries. bottom end of Heritage Grants (that is nearer At the end of March 2017 the HLF the £100,000 minimum than the £5m top announced that all this is to change, beginning limit) but they will be engaged in a competitive this September, when the GPOW programme process in which a grant application, though will close to new applications. In its place accepted as eligible, can be rejected because funding for repairs to places of worship will be other applications are considered stronger. available through HLF’s existing Our Heritage This may prove a mighty dampener. A further programme (up to £100,000) and the main worry is that until now repair grants have had Heritage Grants programme (£100,000 up to be put forward by architects with experience to £5m). of historic building repairs. This has been an The Our Heritage scheme is intended to important safeguard and an assurance that introduce a faster single-stage application for building works will be to a high standard. This

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is not a requirement of the Our Heritage welcome in Catholic churches and though programme or Heritage Grants. some Catholic churches are locked so are many The Lottery tests of outreach and public Anglican ones too – almost all because of engagement fall particularly hard on Catholic concerns of vandalism and theft. churches which are sacred spaces and not There is a bigger question of whether the available for secular purposes – though HLF (and behind them Government) are community and educational activities may and actually interfering with freedom of worship do take place in other nearby church buildings. by laying down conditions as to how churches In many cases a major public benefit is are to be used (or refusing grants if they are provided by being open to visitors who come considered not to conform with guidelines to see fine church interiors and works of art. on extended use) and judging whether they For centuries numerous British travellers have consider a church to be sustainable by their enjoyed Catholic churches in continental own secular standards. SAVE gave strong countries in this way. In Britain visitors are support to members of the congregation of

Photo: St Peter and St Paul, New Brighton. The National Churches Trust via www.Flickr.com

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the church of SS Peter and Paul, New Brighton We urge the HLF to continue to place a when they were fighting closure. Thanks to strong emphasis on church repairs. Historic its prominent position on the mouth of the places of worship rank among the finest works Mersey it was known as “the Dome of Home” of architecture Britain possesses, acting as to seafarers returning to Liverpool. As a result landmarks in town and country, and of this determined campaign the church has representing a remarkable diversity across a reopened with three Lottery (GPOW) grants millennium and more, as well as the character for the roof, dome and brickwork. and aspirations of communities great and Another key example is St Augustine’s, small. The trustees of the HLF must continue Ramsgate. When the Archdiocese of Southwark the work they have done with increased, not took on the church from the religious order diminished, vigour and effectiveness. which had run it since the mid-19th century, The church repair grants introduced in there was serious dry rot in the roof. If EH (as it 1977 – 40 years ago – have been amazingly then was) had not immediately offered a repair successful in supporting historic churches of grant to stop the rot and fix the roof the church all denominations as well as notable places of would not be in the position it is now with an worship belonging to other faiths. An enthusiastic parish priest and Friends Group impressive body of specialist architects, implementing a scheme for the repair of the engineers, contractors and craft workers has interior and for an exhibition with the help been built up. It is vital that grants continue to of the HLF Heritage Grant. Without a strong draw on and sustain this expertise. focus on repair it is hard to see how some of these important endangered churches can turn the corner.

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