Late 19th century stained glass at St James, Warter, East Yorkshire, now owned by a local BPT
Places of worship no longer used for worship
Places of worship are often considered to be one of the building types least capable of adaptation to new use. This is not just because they tend to be buildings of special architectural and historical interest (there are over 18,000 listed places of worship in England), but also because of widely-held and deeply-felt views about the propriety of putting public buildings to private use, or of converting sacred space to secular use. Finding appropriate and sustainable new uses for such buildings while also preserving their special interest is a challenge facing all denominations.
AHP has wide experience in advising on the future of redundant churches, at both strategic and local levels. In 2008 we prepared an advisory note for English Heritage to inform their future strategy on the re-use of redundant places of worship, and in 2009 we prepared a report on the historic churches of Preston for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster, which is planning church closures in the city.