32
BCD Special Report on
Historic Churches
17th annual edition
St John’s, Bigrigg and St Mary’s, Windermere
have maximised the use of their buildings by
turning lesser-used areas into community
spaces. Tese two churches were able to sell
their church halls to fund the works. Bigrigg also
installed ground source heating; a sustainable
energy source which helps to sustain the
building’s future by reducing its energy bills.
Sometimes there’s
no easy answer
Some urban churches have extended their use
with cafés, conference and sports facilities. But
such additional uses may not be appropriate or
feasible in less populated areas. It is important
to respond to local needs, but fnding additional
complementary uses which will help to sustain
the building’s future and the church’s role isn’t
always easy. For some churches there seems to
be no obvious additional use that could help to
fund the building’s upkeep. Sometimes churches
remain isolated and poorly used either due to
location, over-provision of churches in the area
or a lack of comfort. However, these churches
can be too historically signifcant to lose.
Old St Bridget’s Church near Beckermet,
West Cumbria (see title illustration) is an
example of this. It is a simple, single-celled
medieval church without heating or lighting.
It is in need of repair but with two other
churches nearby, the PCC struggles to raise
funds to maintain all three. Unlike a number
of rural churches in Cumbria, particularly
within the Lake District, St Bridget’s doesn’t
currently attract or beneft from tourism. At
Beckermet, the PCC has applied to English
Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund for
a repair grant, and perhaps once stable and
dry, the cost of maintenance will be greatly
reduced and further options for the church
might arise including opening the church,
providing interpretation and encouraging
people to visit and enjoy its peace.
The Churches Trust for Cumbria
Te churches which have the greatest
chance of a viable future are those that are
well maintained and well used. Tis relies
on the willingness of committed members
to engage with the wider community and
providing them with a valued service, or by
seeking help from their community. A number
of villages have retired architects, project
managers or other suitably skilled people
who are able to give signifcant support to the
local church whether they are churchgoers
or not. Te role of the Churches Trust for
Cumbria (CTfC) is to encourage this outward-
looking and forward-thinking approach.
Te CTfC was set up in 2008 to help all
faith communities in Cumbria to ensure that
their buildings are viable and sustainable for the
future. We work to recognise, value, enhance
and highlight to others the contribution that
church buildings and church communities make
to society in Cumbria beyond their core purpose
as places of worship. And the economic and
social contribution they make is considerable.
Faith groups contribute approximately £10
million a year to the local economy, mostly
from the work of their volunteers and also
by encouraging visitor spend in the area.
According to a report by the Northwest
Regional Development Agency, over 45,000
volunteers from faith communities work on
Te post ofce in use at St Oswald’s Church,
Burneside
Gosforth Methodist Church: a hive of activity
Holme Cultram Abbey in its current un-refurbished state