Places of Worship at Risk
Places of worship are heritage in the widest sense. They provide spaces for worship as well as social and community events, allowing people to gather for a wide range of practical and spiritual reasons. Most also provide a haven for individuals needing a quiet, safe and peaceful place to take a break from daily worries, isolation and anxiety, irrespective of their own beliefs.
They continue to accommodate celebration and grief, shared and private experiences, art, music and sculpture, toddler groups, political hustings, wellbeing groups and addiction support sessions. These are significant spaces in which human experience has been, and continues to be, both welcome and supported.
We support the people who look after places of worship so they can keep them open as places of well-being for people of all faiths and none.
The Register covers Grade I, Grade II*, and Grade II listed places of worship across England.
The threats to places of worship
We work closely with groups of all faiths and denominations to monitor the condition of listed places of worship. Places of worship include cathedrals, churches, chapels, gurdwara, mosques, synagogues, temples and any place where public worship takes place at least six times a year.
Entries on the Heritage at Risk Register include buildings which are generally in fair or good condition, but with a significant problem with one major element, such as the tower.
The main threats are failing:
- Roofs
- Rainwater goods
- High-level stonework
Carrying out simple, regular maintenance is essential to prevent these buildings declining into a poor or very bad condition.
Removed from the HAR Register in 2024 following completion of a series of repair works over several years. The building had been suffering from movement, causing significant cracking and requiring structural repairs and stabilisation.
This church is reputed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in London, although the present building is largely a 19th-century rebuild. It is home to many important monuments and memorials; in the churchyard these include memorials dedicated to such luminaries as Mary Wollstonecraft, pioneer of the rights of women, and her husband William Godwin, and the grave of the classical composer Johann Christian Bach. An active place of worship, the church also hosts events and activities for the local community, and in recent years has hosted contemporary music performances, including gigs by the singer Sam Smith.
Support for places of worship
The responsibility for the care of nearly 15,000 listed historic places of worship relies entirely on the efforts of local faith groups and communities.
Where a place of worship is At Risk, Historic England offers support to tackle this through its regional teams.
We also offer grants to denominational and faith bodies to enable them to employ Support Officers to work with individual congregations. Since 2008, over 40 such posts have been created throughout England, and we welcome the Church of England’s recent introduction of additional Church Building Support Officers and the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s grant to enable the National Churches Trust to create a role in the North West, alongside others in Wales and Scotland.
Funding repairs and maintenance is a constant struggle for communities. The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s September 2024 announcement of a three year strategic initiative, to provide funding of £15m is very encouraging. This is in addition to the £85m, delivered through the Heritage Grants Programme. Any place of worship in the UK, of any religion or denomination, may apply for help to meet the challenges they face.
This grade I listed building which is one of the oldest Quaker Meeting Houses in England was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2024 and is currently undergoing repairs for its traditional thatched roof.
Located in a quiet, isolated hamlet and surrounded by nature, this simple building has been home to a Quaker community for over 300 years.
Repairs are needed to prevent water from leaking in and damaging the structure. A project will start soon to re-cover the thatched roof and repair its fragile supporting timbers.
Historic England's guidance on new works, new uses and climate change action
Historic England supports congregations and faith groups using historic buildings, whether they were built as places of worship or have been converted for that purpose.
We offer advice on sensitively adapting spaces and installing new facilities so that places of worship can be used for a wide range of purposes alongside worship and community activities. We are planning to publish updated guidance in 2025.
The global impact of climate change is a challenge. Many congregations are working to reduce their carbon consumption and make their buildings more resilient to stronger winds, drought, and heavier rainfall. We also provide technical guidance on how to decide what is appropriate for a particular building and how to achieve it.
We have already published guidance on the Theft of Metal from Church Roofs: Prevention and Response, on the Theft of Metal from Church Roofs: Replacement Materials, and on Church Roof Replacement Using Terne-coated Steel.
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