HEREFORDSHIRE: “What do we do with all these churches?”
A growing number are apparently facing ruin
A growing number of Herefordshire’s historic churches and ex-churches face ruin as those in charge despair of finding new uses for them.
Sam Pratley, diocesan secretary and chief executive of the Diocese of Hereford said that with more than 400 churches, his patch has by far the highest ratio of buildings to people in the country – but many communities struggle to maintain what have for centuries been their focal points.
Typifying the problem is the Church of St Andrew, Wolferlow north of Bromyard, which dates from the 12th century, closed to worship in 2006 and is now visibly deteriorating.
Yet its heritage status – Grade II* listed, partly on account of an enigmatic female effigy in the chancel – restricts what can be done with it, while requiring it to remain publicly accessible, Mr Pratley explained.
“We wouldn’t want money for it. But any new owner would have to retain its heritage status, which requires a significant funding.”
Issues around access over others’ land can be contentious and tricky to resolve, while “the cost of everything is rising, from heating to insurance”.
And nationally the Church “prefers to fund people rather than buildings”, he added. “There is a societal question of who should step up.”
A previous bid to turn St Andrew’s into a home was withdrawn in 2021 following opposition from locals, including relatives of a little boy buried alongside the church.
“People say, ‘you shouldn’t do that’ – there are emotions around these buildings,” Mr Pratley said. “But what’s the alternative?”
Urban churches are not immune, with Hereford’s St Nicholas by the Greyfriars Bridge now idle after a plan to make it a music skills centre fell through, he pointed out.
However there are some bright spots to point to in the county, such as the 12th-century St Leonard’s, Yarpole which doubles as a community shop, post office and events space following an extensive refurbishment.
“We know our rural communities still value their churches,” Mr Pratley said.
“But our average age of churchgoers is 72. There is a ‘quiet revival’ of worship among those in their 20s and 30s. But those are often the ages these communities lack.”