The Redundant Churches Fund was set up in 1969 to preserve churches which the Church of England no longer needed for
regular worship but which are of historic, architectural or archeological interest. It now preserves over three hundred
redundant Church of England churches in its
care throughout the country.
The Trust's main income is provided by the Church of England and the State but the constantly increasing number of
redundant CoE churches which are entrusted
to its care means that its resources are severely stretched. Contributions
from members of the public to help in the preservation of these important buildings for future generations to enjoy,
as many have done in the past, are therefore gratefully recieved.
Parish churches appear as permanent as the landscape itself but, sadly, this is not so. For reasons such as
population mobility in both town and country and falling church attendances, manu of them cannot now be maintained
for the purpose of their building as the Church of England no longers needs them and they become
redundant as
places of worship.There is a formal procedure within the Church of England for declaring a church
redundant and for
giving careful consideration to what becomes of it afterwards.
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A redundant church is a consecrated church
of the church of England which has formally been declared
redundant under the procedure of the
Pastoral Measures 1968 or 1983 because it is
no longer required for regular worship.
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Some redundant churches find other uses such
as places of worship for other denominations, as concert halls, cultural
centres, office or even residential housing - some are even demolished. Others, however, are so important to the
cultural heritage of the nation because of their historic, architectural or archeological interest, that their
preservation must be secured.
It was for the conservation of these important but
redundant churches that The Churches
Conservation Trust was established - without it, many of these churches would probably disappear or, at best, only
survive the years as crumbling ruins.
