A stained glass windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones in All Saints Church in Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire – the church is a recipient of a £20,000 National Churches Trust Cornerstone Grant to help fund roof repairs and replacement of rainwater goods following the theft of lead. PICTURE: The National Churches Trust/licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Nine churches on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register are among some 45 awarded National Churches Trust grants in the UK.
All Saints in Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire – known for its Morris & Co stained glass windows and two William Morris painted ceilings, and St Petrock in Timberscombe, Somerset – a church with a 1500s fan-vaulted rood screen – are among those to receive money in the latest round of grants which total £290,000.
Two remote Scottish churches – Howmore church on the Isle of South Uist and Tiree parish church on the Isle of Tiree – are also on the list.
Huw Edwards, vice president of The National Churches Trust and broadcaster, said the UK’s historic churches and chapels are a “vital part of our national heritage”.
“But to survive, many need to carry out urgent repairs and install modern facilities,” he said. “The cost of this work is far beyond what most congregations can pay for themselves. So I’m delighted that the trust is providing grants of £290,000 to keep more churches and chapels in good repair so that they can remain open and benefit local communities.”
Last year, the National Churches Trust helped support 202 projects with grants of £1.2 million. Some 23 churches and chapels were removed from the Heritage at Risk Register in 2018 with the support of the trust’s grants.
