Church for sale

[biffvernon]

Grade I Medieval Church For Sale - Guide price £15,000 :!:

The All Saints Church which was restored in 1876, retains its 14th century nave, its 15th century tower and clerestory and an early font and Easter Sepulchre. All Saints is an ashlar-faced church and the chancel is Early English. There are Decorated additions within the arcade and Perpendicular elements such as the clerestory. The chancel and its furnishings are especially fine.

 

[Nemesis]

Blimey - that's a large pic!

Tell me more...

 

[biffvernon]

Benington, near Boston, Lincolnshire.

Potential alternative uses need to be sympathetic to the character of the building with minimal alteration. Community, educational, social or cultural uses appear most appropriate.

I suppose you could pray in it.

 

[Nemesis]

Sad - Building of the Month think you maybe?

Yes you could pray in it - why I wonder is it not being passed to the Churches Conservation Trust? Not 'important' enough?

http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/text-only/faqs.asp

How about the Friends of Friendless Churches? I am a 'Friend':

http://www.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/membership.html

(You may know these ones:

http://www.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/churches/Sutterby/sutterby.htm

http://www.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/churches/Saltfleetby/saltfleetby.htm)

In Scotland:

http://www.srct.org.uk/


It is however a very big problem in these times when so few attend church. They are simply not viable and require too much upkeep.Yet these buildings have stood at the heart of their communities for centuries.

Some have been taken over by other faiths. Many are on Buildings at Risk Registers.

Many for sale:

http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/diocesesparishes/rcsale/

http://www.property.org.uk/unique/ch.html

(Greenhead was sold last week - was the YHA - for £175,00. Thankfully I think the buyer intends keeping it as a hostel.)

Sadly, large numbers of wonderful non-conformist chapels have also been destroyed in the recent past, mostly in the north. Beautiful buildings, many huge, especially in northern industrial areas. The Historic Chapels Trust too does wonderful work - maybe you saw Jenny Freeman on restoration recently, in the Bethesda Chapel, a Restoration contender from a previous series.

http://www.hct.org.uk/

One difficulty of course is alteration to make something else - while better than destruction, so much beauty is ripped out.


If any community group can see a way ahead for that lovely one though Biff, there's the AHF to help:

http://www.ahfund.org.uk/

 

[biffvernon]

The Saltfleetby one, just up the road from me, displays an interesting case of subsidence!

[/quote]

 

[Nemesis]

Ah - so it's not my early sampling of the damson gin then! Phew!

There seem to be a large number of redundant churches in Lincs.

 

[Matt Green]

The Historic Chapels Trust too does wonderful work - maybe you saw Jenny Freeman on restoration recently, in the Bethesda Chapel, a Restoration contender from a previous series.

http://www.hct.org.uk/

I surveyed Bethesda also two years ago to the day. It still ranks as the nastiest survey I've ever undertaken. The Pigeon poo was 2" deep in places, the windows were boarded and there were over 30 hypodermics in the building. The false ceiling had fallen in number of places and the tiles turned to mush with the guano. The downpipes had been removed above the level of the balcony and dry rot ws well established within it.

Glad to see there's some action afoot, although another 2 years without downpipes makes me raise an eyebrow about the state of the dry rot. I hope it didn't ever make it into the crypt.

Whilst it's great to be involved with buildings like this; in this case the pigeon fleas and chest infection cloud my memory somewhat.


Matt Green

 

[Nemesis]

Rescue and repair is ongoing. Jenny on Restoration a few weeks ago was standing in a building where repair is well underway, with HLF, EH, HCT and other funding, and certainly where the HCT is concerned the place couldn't be in better hands.

Sounds grim for you though Matt! Heroic!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/culture/2003/04/bethesda_chapel.shtml

http://www.bethesda-stoke.org.uk/architecture.php

And if the pics on this link are clicked they enlarge to show more detail the ongoing work:

http://www.bethesda-stoke.org.uk/progress.php



[Open Image]



Quote:

Phase 1
We plan to tackle essential repairs in a phased manner, instead of waiting to raise all the funds required to carry out a full repair and upgrading of the building. This means that we get started sooner, halt the decay and deal with urgent works.

The first phase started on site on Monday 15 May 2006. It mainly involves high-level repairs to the building to provide a sound roof and to make the chapel watertight. It will also enable visitors to go into the building, on a limited basis, to appreciate its scale and grandeur.

The first phase of works will include:

Complete renewal of all the roof slates
Repair to the main timber roof trusses, as required
Elimination of dry rot
All necessary repairs of high-level masonry
Renewal of all rainwater pipes
Clearance of all internal debris and making the buildiing safe for public access
Removal of timber boards over windows and replacement with clear covers to allow natural light into the building
Repair of underground drainage.
These works will take six months and are due to be completed in late December 2006. Limited public access should be available from Spring 2007.

The Phase 1 works have been funded with the aid of a £265,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £200,000 from English Heritage and over £20,000 that has been raised by the Historic Chapels Trust and the Bethesda Friends.

We do need to raise more funds to help start Phase 2. Please send donations to the Historic Chapels Trust’s London office at St George’s German Lutheran Church, 55 Alie Street, London E1 8EB.

Phase 2
Phase 2, which will cost an estimated £2 million, will encompass all remaining repair works and upgrading necessary to bring Bethesda into use. This will embrace:

Repairs to the exterior walls, and in particular the stucco-faced front elevation
Re-instatement of a ceiling to the design of the original
Repair of the pews and interior features
Renewal of all electrical, heating and water services etc
Provision of toilet and office facilities to enable the building to be used as a multi-functional venue
Provision of disabled access to the building
Provision of equipment to facilitate community uses as important jobs are completed.

 

[Nemesis]

http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6573

 

[biffvernon]

A green man, 21st century addition to medieval gargoyle?
I passed by Bennington Church and took several photos. Evelyn, would you like to ask Adam et al if Save could use them? All exterior, showing the state of boarded up windows, blocked drains etc. There's nothing too too serious but it's got to the point where deterioration could set in pretty quickly. The interior looks pretty good and most of the stained glass is sound but I couldn't actually get inside to take pics.

 

[Nemesis]

Thanks Biff - I'm sure that SAVE could use them, at this moment I'm urgently trying to SAVE a rollercoaster and the Greater Crested Newt but I'll get back to you!

 

[GK]

Another sinking church...this one at Whitgift on the South bank of the Ouse

© Copyright Gordon Kneale Brooke and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.

And the clock of same church ...

© Copyright Heather Holdridge and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence

 

[biffvernon]

What a striking clock. The inscription, 'In Terra', presumably is an allusion to the tower's sinking into the earth?

 

[Nemesis]

The SAVE website is nearly sorted (well - out of date but that's being worked on) and the links now work - but the church pic doesn't!

Fifteen grand though - rather a snip... I'm sure David would like some further pics - please do mail them to him.

That's an amazing leaning tower though GK - and a lovely clock too - are those from Geograph?

I spent a while Monday looking at new pics on that, I see that the Friends Meeting House at Coanwood
http://www.hct.org.uk/chapel9haltwhistle.html

http://www.thenortheast.com/hexhamquakers/CoanwoodFMH.html

has new external and internal pics . And that seems to lean markedly too, although unless it has sunk since I last saw it I thought it sort of straightish!


[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]


Pic copyright Les Hull and licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons License



Enter grid ref NY7058 or Coanwood

http://www.geograph.org.uk

Many happy hours of amusement!

 

[GK]

I have my own pics of the church at Whitgift but the Geograph ones are better - has no-one noticed the 13-hour day in this part of the world?

 

[Nemesis]

It's only half of the 26 hour days I've been putting in this week!

Well oop north - we work on our own timescales don't we?

 

[biffvernon]

Ha. To busy thinking about the words

 

[plumbers mate]

Have you been to the Quaker Meeting House near Mungrisdale in the Lakes?

It's a lovely little building and very peaceful I am not a Quaker, but it's worth a visit.

http://www.northcumbria.quaker.eu.org/Mosedmtg.html

There's a little pic on that page.

 

[Nemesis]

This one is interesting too - for wider reasons.

I like the one in Alston too, but as the only pic I have is of Ela (formerly) from SAVE and the other half in front of it I won't post it. Ela's fine, its... no I won't go there.

He's wearing one of his hats.

http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/bunting.htm



[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]

Geograph
C Carl Bendelow licensed for re-use under Creative Commons License

 

[Nemesis]

Aha - should have looked further at your page:

http://www.northcumbria.quaker.eu.org/Alstmeet.html

No I'm not a Friend but the Meeting Houses are lovely.