@@colvinator1611 pietra dura style of art is an islamic form of art seen in taj mahal.similarly terracota art in Bengal temple style architecture is important for Hindus while gothic architecture in churches are reminiscent of cultural ethos of eastern Europe
@@philphildebeers2075 Yes indeed , especially the multitudes of tossers who have no intention of working. And then of course the hundreds of thousands of invaders from unknown lands
The tiny rural village I reside in, with a population of just 287, has recently raised £50k to repair the roof of the 1000 yr old church which was seriously damaged in a storm last year. The ecclesiastical “specialist” insurers, who inspect the church every year, deemed the damage was brought about because it had not been maintained properly (though they had not reported this at any point in their annual “inspection reports” ), rather than the effects of the storm (!). The Church of England would not support the renovation financially (the richest landowner in the country). The insurers then asked for us to renew the church’s insurance (!!!). However, they are deemed the only suitable insurers by the Church of England, and thus have a monopoly. The church is regularly, though rarely used, as it is just one of 14 churches in the benefice. I really wish someone would come up with a viable plan for the future of this church and many like it, as there appears to be so many impediments to progress. This was all reported on local radio (Radio Solent) a few months ago - though any facts that might have been deemed “offensive” to either the insurers or the Church of England were withheld by the local interviewees. The responsibility seems to sit entirely with the 287 members of the village - a few rich landowners admittedly, but the majority just ordinary people.
Interesting subject . Any of these Anglican church buildings built before 1535 A.D. is property belonging to and stolen from there rightful owner the Catholic Church at the time of the Protestant revolt under the perverted heretic king Henry VIII. Stolen property should be returned to rightful owner but as far as the murdered ten of thousands of Catholics under reign of Henry and his successors Edward & Elisabeth 1, the " virgin" queen, history will be their judge.
Its wonderful your village has a great community spirt and care enough to raise the funds for the repair. It is bad the Church of England does not recognise the spirt of the community and support funding the repair. What was their reasoning the mind boggles.
You'd think that the biggest landowner in the country, the church of England would want to maintain it, but then, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle as the great man said. Plus, look how the C of E began, with the tearing down of so many beautiful and amazing monasteries and cathedrals, and they had been used as hospitals and as care for the poor, and so that left many people destitute.
Good luck to her, I loved stained glass windows as well. They lift my spirit. That is truly a gift to create stained glass. I grew up Catholic in Chicago.
Heartbreaking to lose ones history. And the UK has some of the GREATEST & MOST FASCINATING history on the planet. Am thankful to these folks who care about these wonderful old buildings. 😢
Churches should be saved as much as possible. If a church cant be saved due to money, conversion into something usefull that will save the building is great. These buildings are our heritage and should be saved as much as possible.
@@philipcooke778 The point is they are abandoned, clearly no one cares that much. Less then half the UK were reported as Christian at last count, churches are demolished all the time and no one kicks off.
@@denisemoore6134 It would make a great home for sure, imgaine the sunrise through those windows in the morning! Hopefully that's what happens to most, I've seen many turned into apartments which at least keeps the building in use and the from the outside no different.
Maybe if the church of England focused on spirituality rather than preaching about politics then church numbers would be a lot higher than they are now.
People stopped going to church decades ago it's not much to do with politics. Having said that, even though I'm an atheist, I'd like to see as many churches as possible remain open - or at least certainly not be demolished or anything like that. The famous poet Philip Larkin was an atheist but he too was fascinated by churches and would often stop to explore one he hadn't seen before.
Lmao I love Britain has amazing churches but a small local mosque gets more worshippers in the day then most churches in Britain on a Sunday 🤦🏾♂️🙄. Listen I love looking at churches they look amazing but Britain has a whole is not religious anymore so why would they need to preserve most of it?
It shouldn't matter if they are churches or not. Any building that old deserves to be saved. It even makes me sad seeing 150 year old farmhouses and barns rotting here in the US.
A ' church ' gathering is for people not a building. The people in the dis united kingdom are a vast majority of atheists. Romans chapter 1 et al , King James Bible.
@@colvinator1611 That's absolutely untrue. Even with the relentless campaign against Christianity that atheists have been waging for the last few decades, most people in the UK are not atheists.
Each one of the 9000 medieval churches is a piece of History of this Country and must be seen that way. They should be restored carefully and according to the possibilities of the Nation. Makes me very happy seeing young responsible and capable people heading and fighting for such issues.
I was baptised in the evangelical Christian denomination,and we believe that the church is the wherever the people(believers) gather to have fellowship is the church,regardless of where the location is! But it really would be a shame to see these beautiful old buildings go!
Yes they should be saved, problems today are people are always taking away our heritages, ripping them down, building houses, or playgrounds, or god forbid more car parks, these places especially churches, are still in use for community, and if anything is needed more, that is what they are, community involvement places . So we can still have at least that !
Abandoning your churches and leaving them up for sale. That is such a disrespect towards your ancestors. Thank God that in my country that won't happen.
England's 9,000 medieval churches are greatest art collections in Europe. They should be used as community centres. Not just for worship. Farmers markets, Bingo, Youth clubs, WI, Judo lessons etc
@@stephfoxwell4620 Many historical churches were looted and converted by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, due to puritanic beliefs. It was felt that iconography and colourful imagery in churches was anti-God, and therefore should be ripped out. Other religious buildings had been destroyed and looted under Henry VIII, almost a century prior to Cromwell. Almost all English and Scottish churches are therefore very plain, simple, and have no meaningful pieces of art - almost all of it stolen and sold by the government-of-the-day (c.1540-1660) for war, and can only be found in large country houses.
"And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." -Matthew Chapter 21 Verse 13, King James Version. Church is for Worship alone, the church hall is for the rest!
Irrespective of their intended use, these buildings are worthy of restoration and saving. I told a friend of mine why I'd donated to the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral - its contribution to the history of music can not be ignored. It would be nice if they could be returned to use, secular or sacred, but there's a lot of history in those buildings: artwork, monuments.
Well yes it should be kept open to anyone places of worship should always stay open and should not be attacked by anyone like all other religious places ❤
THE TV HAS A MORAL AD PATRIOTIC DUTY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO BACK TO MASS 1 A WEEK AT LEAST! NO WONDER THERE ARE SO MANY SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND SUICIDES, NOBODY TEACHES RELIGION PROPERLY TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. SO IS INEVITABLE VIOLENCE, BAD BEHAVIOUR ANTI PATRIOTIC, NOT RESPECTING OLD PEOPLE AND AUTHORITIES AND CHANTING GENOCIDAL SONGS IN UK STREETS!!!!
Yes saving them for the history they contain and maintain, their the greatest treasure for the fact their history goes back farther than Britain’s know.
Yes, even if a lot of people are moving away from the church, the cultural significance is too great to abandon these buildings, I have even seen some old churches being taken over & used by other religions, that’s not something we should allow
Absolutely they should these places are often the only buildings of merit in many rural and some inner city areas , they are worth saving for the beauty and heritage of these places
Convert them into libraries, cultural centres, places for poetry events, exhibition space and art studio space etc. Lottery money could be used to make this into a living space for the community.
COE needs to sell some of these churches to the multiple (largely immigrant) Protestant congregations that hire secular venues for weekly services. Like it or not, it’s Christian immigrants that are keeping the Christian presence in the UK alive.
Yup, give me One Traditional, conservative, Bible Believing, Actually Saved, Presbyterian or Confessional Reformed Baptist from Hungary or Armenia than One Thousand English Wesleyan-Arminian Heretics!
I worked in a "converted" church in Camberwell back in about 1986 assembling flat pack office furniture. Being a Catholic it felt a bit strange working in a plece of worship but at the same time rather comforting. I remember my first day looking for a warehouse and thinking that can't be it surely it's a church but it turned out it was I was shocked !
In Germany we have a Church tax which is used to maintain the old cathedrals and churches. It is extra surcharge on Income tax which church members pay. For other old buildings other than the religious ones. The property tax is waived for new owners provided they repair it in the original architecture style, then they can use the building for a commercial purpose.
In Britain, England in particular, other religions are legally entitled to an equal percentage of that the taxation that covers old churches. ie, we open 4 mosques per week
These buildings are often works of art, they often contain burials inside. If they can't be used as churches then they need to start being used for the communities they serve, which to me is what church should be about. Helping others.
I would say restoring them to their former glory after all it is a church ( a Holy Spiritual place of worship and prayer) . Even if no Mass is being said - it can be used to house pilgrims and homeless people who can work on the premises and help grow the community. Rather, than doing the obnoxious thing and using them as pubs and restaurants. Everything has a place of value and the Church is of highest value. There is a price one pays when they don't think and act.
@merudasouza thats an interesting idea to use them to house homeless people, and for them then to work on them . Churches can be converted into beautiful homes , why not multiple occupancy homes ? And work places ? That sounds an idea worth exploring.
This is basically how churches and monasteries worked in the Middle Ages. Instead of becoming homeless people could become indentured servants and work on some land, be it secular or owned by the Church. In American I'm given to understand there are laws which prevent churches from housing homeless people. Not sure how it is in the U.K. Anyways, I'm definitely in favor of it.
Speaking as an atheist, I love church buildings. Not all of them can be saved, but we should certainly make an effort. If nothing else, I see no reason why they shouldn't perform their traditional roles, but not necessarily in a religious way: as centres for the community to come together, as places of contemplation, and as places to hold the important ceremonies of our lives. If local communities could run their own church buildings with that aim in mind, hopefully with government support (either local or national), I'm sure that's something most people could get behind. Churches can also be repurposed as museums, or nice local tearooms. I know a a couple of great indoor climbing centres which used to be churches.
Medieval churches should be saved, and there should be no doubt in this matter. The buildings are unique and ancient and create an old English ambience to the countryside. I visit ancient churches, but I am not religious to any extent. I came across a ruined church near Wold Newton, Lincolnshire on my walks and that has been repaired sympathetically by the church trust recently, this included a new roof and stone work. An old country church represents Britain at its best.
The Church of England has a large endowment of £8.7 billion which generates approximately £1 billion a year in income (2019). They are also happy to sell land for new build projects in villages even when the locals are against it.
Fixing a slipped slate straight away prolongs life of buildings by decades and costs very little . I am astonished on lack of charitable fixing and loads of rip off full reroofs . As an ex builder i can say churches are `preyed` upon .
The Church of England has an endowment of £8.7 billion, generating about £1 billion annually. Its investment portfolio managed by the Church Commissioners is worth £9.2 billion. The portfolio includes diverse assets like farmland and infrastructure, totaling over £2.5 billion. The Church's investment fund recently achieved record returns. Save the buildings, yes, but don't feel too sorry for them I'd say.
The Church of England is a business, they have enough money to repair all of these old buildings but for some reason they won’t. These old buildings should be deconsecrated , sold and put to better use.
Canterbury and York becoming Apostate and Destroying the church with Damnable Heresies! A Christian cannot fellowship in an Apostate and Ichabod fallen church. Looking for a decent, traditional, conservative, Bible Believing and Obeying Presbyterian or Confessional Reformed Baptist Church now.
Quite a dilemma for local communities trying to come to terms with the place religious worship has in the changing cultural landscape of the United Kingdom. I feel Niall Gooch talks a lot of pragmatic sense when he considers the practical considerations faced by communities today, such as Housing and the best use of financial resources. No getting away from it, that beautiful old church featured in the report, St Lawrence's, exemplifies the dilemma we face. Is it a valuable and irreplaceable example of the religious and cultural heritage of the United Kingdom? Or, is it an anachronistic specimen of an outmoded era, and a drain on the communities financial resources. I feel torn!
The former. Judging our past to be outdated is a fashionable fallacy; dismissing the actions of our own ancestors is similarly fashionable self-flagellation. So much can be lost before, as a society, we come to terms with it all.
I am for saving every one of these churches even if they are converted to other non-religous purposes, as long as they are well-maintained. The one in Sussex that looks to be a pub is gorgeous, and I have seen others that are the most beautiful restaurants with all architectural features and stained glass intact. To make one a community centre for the enjoyment of all is also commendable. The most divine use would be if a congregation could take on such project and then bring the church back to life as their place of worship. Many chuches now have chairs instead of pews, making it possible to invite the community to use it when religious services are not scheduled as a theatre for live performances, or clearing large areas of seats for community activities.
As a U.S. citizen, please save them! Think of tourists and others that enjoy the architecture and history! Could they spur some sort of arts/nature/performance center around these? Hopefully, money can be raised.
It makes as much sense as trying to keep a chronically ailing 99-year old alive with repeated defibrillation. Let it go. There is beauty, grace and a universal spirituality in accepting change and the ageing process. The church has a silly amount of wealth and could do so much more, more like it used to do in the olden days of Christian philanthropy. It really hit me one day, walking into the church in the old town in Croydon - on one side of the entrance was a box labelled 'donations for the church spire repair' and on the other was a sign saying 'on no account can we give anyone any money'. how is that Christian??
I think many are worth saving. In Eastern Germany we turned many churches into libraries or centers for meeting and study. This way, the old superstitions could be replaced by education, and the real estate was put to good use.
Useful tip from an Englishwoman: it's centre (re), not 'center (er)', hence the we also have the combining forms centri-, centr-, centro-, denoting centre. Please use and preserve our beautiful English language, rather than adopting unnecessary Americanisms. xx
@@pussypostlethwaitsaeronaut8503 Thanks for pointing this out to me. I realize (realise?) that for this article British spelling conventions may be preferable (preferrable?). However, as I'm neither British nor American it does not really matter.
It’s unfortunate Germans would rather sit on their laurels and eat boterham on Sunday morning than go to church for 1 hour. The Muslims in Germany make the Christian’s look weak as water. Very sad.
Our churches should be preserved, it is who we are and where we came from. There’s no excuses, it’s part of our country and we have an obligation to the integrity of our nation
Fine architecture or historic significance speak for themselves. But if the building is not required for its original purpose, as churches are not, alternative use is the obvious path to preservation. And given the national shortage of housing, conversion to living accomodation is the most obvious and charitable possibility. But since Jesus was not averse to a good party, pubs, eating places, etc., seem equally appropriate.
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Tenby Church is beautiful, and precious as a work of art. One does not have to be religious to save them. They are precious, and I separate spiritual places from often hypocritical religious Sunday services.
After the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo,France ,was made to pay this country £1 million ,in war reperations , an act of parliament was passed,this called the " million "act. It was used to finance the building of churches in this country. In Wakefield 3 were built,at alverthorpe,thornes,& in my village of stanley.they were known as "Waterloo" churches.
i think these buildings have been the focus of thier comunities for hundreds of years, they are part of who we are and have importaint historical relevance, it is so importaint that we know where we came from, especialy when our culture is changing rapidly
Yes, they should be saved. They are part of English history and a fundamental part of England. Don't let the Muslim religion overtake this lovely free country. We are in danger of dying out and our culture and freedom's lost.
Well might as well Abolish everything that’s British 🇬🇧 where has protected Heritage gone ? Countries like Italy for example tend to keep theirs ! So thinking for the tourists 👀! But yeah why not make Britain a big car park 🇬🇧
No question they should be restored,. As an American I envy the British for even having these very old buildings to save. Perhaps a tour of the works-in-progress could help with donations.
They can be repurposed if not used. Not as if we have a surfeit of places to live. Locally we have one that is now a care home, another student accommodation, several are theatres, antique shops, and pubs.
The smaller churches.chaples do make lovely homes. I lived in one as a teen in the late 80s till I left home. My parents bought a small church that had ran into financial trouble a few years earlier and had to close because the congregation in the village it served just couldn't be bothered. After two years of renovation we moved in, open plan, two floors, 4 bedrooms and a kitchen built where the alter use to be under the main stained glass window that would light up with sunlight...Only problem, walking back from the village pub at night through the small grave yard would always get your imagination racing.
Many of these are Chapels and Meeting houses, not Churches. The Churches Conservation Trust look after 400 redundant medieval and Georgian churches. They get very little Government money. Just donations.
Sad to see a country and a people lose its spiritual and religious heritage, along with that, the visible, and physical reminders. These buildings are also a reminder of a peoples culture, customs, folklore, legends and history. What’s most disturbing is what is moving in to fill the void and replacing this lost heritage.
It's our heritage and it's beauty and art and if we can should preserve it , there's plenty of horrible ugly modern buildings that are derelict that can be knocked down an reused with out ruining the countryside and our history
Bishop Ramsbury needs to visit the converted churches and ask the community if they know the history of the disused church. I am willing to bet more than half have no clue as to the history. Anyone born in the 90's does not really care, it is something their nan or grandad would know.
Personally I think all churches should be retained as having them is an absolutely essential aspect of our collective history and we are in many ways quite unique in having such a diverse and numerous collection which permeate all parts of the UK. How they are repurposed is up to particular conditions and circumstances. Provided the structure and fittings are retained - then we have done our best.
These churches are living history, A connection to the past. its not just about function or the idea that every single thing has to have a purpose just to exist.
I think that we have to look at them from several points of view. That many of them are old come from two traditions. From the medieval times they were the entry portal of the very rich to the kingdom of heaven which allowed access for the less wealthy and poor as well. For those only a hundred or two years old they were an area of communal desire for encompassing worship of the community. Where the communities have drifted away because there is little to no private housing in say a business district the buildings lose the religious significance but are still very impressive street architecture within the community and to find a community or private use for them becomes important to retain a semblance and identity of the communities historical growth. The removal of religious right from the building does not invalidate the right of the buildings to exist in an alternative form of use. In the counties of East Anglia we have the greatest collection of medieval buildings in the world bar none. Some villages have two religious buildings and some have a mixture of used and redundant for religious purposes. There are often a group of domestic buildings from all eras surrounding them. This is our past and we cannot walk away from it if we are to identify as people with a history of these islands. The alternative is to bulldoze anything we are not prepared to save which would be a noticeable part of our many communities across the whole of our country. We are therefore faced with a problem broader than the just the religious buildings but all buildings of architectural significance so that owners and occupiers can have assistance in renovation or at least basic structural security until a suitable use can be found for them. It is noticeable that in Prague the communist authorities renovated and restored many of their old and religious buildings and in Germany they have never been afraid to add modern integrated structures to then to make them fit with community desires.
It is the duty of the state to protect cultural heritage buildings and architectures with religious significance...
Religious significance ??
@@colvinator1611 pietra dura style of art is an islamic form of art seen in taj mahal.similarly terracota art in Bengal temple style architecture is important for Hindus while gothic architecture in churches are reminiscent of cultural ethos of eastern Europe
Bollox. It's more important that the state provide affordable housing for its citizens than preserve some ruins of an obsolete 'ideology'.
@@philphildebeers2075 Yes indeed , especially the multitudes of tossers who have no intention of working. And then of course the hundreds of thousands of invaders from unknown lands
Who said "The State" should 'provide housing for it's citizens'?@@philphildebeers2075
The tiny rural village I reside in, with a population of just 287, has recently raised £50k to repair the roof of the 1000 yr old church which was seriously damaged in a storm last year. The ecclesiastical “specialist” insurers, who inspect the church every year, deemed the damage was brought about because it had not been maintained properly (though they had not reported this at any point in their annual “inspection reports” ), rather than the effects of the storm (!). The Church of England would not support the renovation financially (the richest landowner in the country). The insurers then asked for us to renew the church’s insurance (!!!). However, they are deemed the only suitable insurers by the Church of England, and thus have a monopoly. The church is regularly, though rarely used, as it is just one of 14 churches in the benefice. I really wish someone would come up with a viable plan for the future of this church and many like it, as there appears to be so many impediments to progress. This was all reported on local radio (Radio Solent) a few months ago - though any facts that might have been deemed “offensive” to either the insurers or the Church of England were withheld by the local interviewees. The responsibility seems to sit entirely with the 287 members of the village - a few rich landowners admittedly, but the majority just ordinary people.
How wonderful! 🎉
Interesting subject . Any of these Anglican church buildings built before 1535 A.D. is property belonging to and stolen from there rightful owner the Catholic Church at the time of the Protestant revolt under the perverted heretic king Henry VIII. Stolen property should be returned to rightful owner but as far as the murdered ten of thousands of Catholics under reign of Henry and his successors Edward & Elisabeth 1, the " virgin" queen, history will be their judge.
The C of E seems to want to preserve its fat pensions more than its heritage - they seem to actively despise Britain and its heritage and its people
Its wonderful your village has a great community spirt and care enough to raise the funds for the repair. It is bad the Church of England does not recognise the spirt of the community and support funding the repair. What was their reasoning the mind boggles.
You'd think that the biggest landowner in the country, the church of England would want to maintain it, but then, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle as the great man said. Plus, look how the C of E began, with the tearing down of so many beautiful and amazing monasteries and cathedrals, and they had been used as hospitals and as care for the poor, and so that left many people destitute.
I loved the fact that the lady interviewed was so passionate about saving our churches for future generations to enjoy, Happy New Year to all.
Good luck to her, I loved stained glass windows as well. They lift my spirit. That is truly a gift to create stained glass. I grew up Catholic in Chicago.
She's amazing and my brother has the honour of working for her. She has saved so many churches
He's lucky to have such a great lady to work along side.@@edwardlsanders
Heartbreaking to lose ones history. And the UK has some of the GREATEST & MOST FASCINATING history on the planet. Am thankful to these folks who care about these wonderful old buildings. 😢
Churches should be saved as much as possible.
If a church cant be saved due to money, conversion into something usefull that will save the building is great. These buildings are our heritage and should be saved as much as possible.
@@philipcooke778 The point is they are abandoned, clearly no one cares that much.
Less then half the UK were reported as Christian at last count, churches are demolished all the time and no one kicks off.
I would like to be wealthy enough to convert one into a house and live in it.
@@denisemoore6134 It would make a great home for sure, imgaine the sunrise through those windows in the morning!
Hopefully that's what happens to most, I've seen many turned into apartments which at least keeps the building in use and the from the outside no different.
@@lemcakes32422 How about not telling people what to do!
@@martymcfly88mph😀
Maybe if the church of England focused on spirituality rather than preaching about politics then church numbers would be a lot higher than they are now.
People stopped going to church decades ago it's not much to do with politics. Having said that, even though I'm an atheist, I'd like to see as many churches as possible remain open - or at least certainly not be demolished or anything like that.
The famous poet Philip Larkin was an atheist but he too was fascinated by churches and would often stop to explore one he hadn't seen before.
This is not a church of Jezus Christ. This is exactly church of British interest.
🤡
Amen!
IT IS THE PEOPLE'S DUTY TO GO TO MASS 1 A WEEK AND DISGRACEFULY THE TV NEVER MAKES GOOD MORAL FILMS, PRIEST'S LESSON OF CATECHESIS ETC ETC .
Yes, we need more churches, they are historical monuments.
Lmao I love Britain has amazing churches but a small local mosque gets more worshippers in the day then most churches in Britain on a Sunday 🤦🏾♂️🙄. Listen I love looking at churches they look amazing but Britain has a whole is not religious anymore so why would they need to preserve most of it?
Church buildings.. not the Church.
I think that they definitely should be saved.
Who's going to pay for it?
It shouldn't matter if they are churches or not. Any building that old deserves to be saved. It even makes me sad seeing 150 year old farmhouses and barns rotting here in the US.
Yes bring them back to it's full glory with Sunday services
A ' church ' gathering is for people not a building. The people in the dis united kingdom are a vast majority of atheists.
Romans chapter 1 et al , King James Bible.
@@colvinator1611 That's absolutely untrue. Even with the relentless campaign against Christianity that atheists have been waging for the last few decades, most people in the UK are not atheists.
Each one of the 9000 medieval churches is a piece of History of this Country and must be seen that way.
They should be restored carefully and according to the possibilities of the Nation.
Makes me very happy seeing young responsible and capable people heading and fighting for such issues.
Yes they are worth saving! It’s not even a question it’s apart of the dying UK culture. They need to be protected.
I was baptised in the evangelical Christian denomination,and we believe that the church is the wherever the people(believers) gather to have fellowship is the church,regardless of where the location is! But it really would be a shame to see these beautiful old buildings go!
Me too❤
It would be more than a shame; it would be a tragedy.
Yes they should be saved, problems today are people are always taking away our heritages, ripping them down, building houses, or playgrounds, or god forbid more car parks, these places especially churches, are still in use for community, and if anything is needed more, that is what they are, community involvement places . So we can still have at least that !
May God Bless Those Volunteers!
Abandoning your churches and leaving them up for sale. That is such a disrespect towards your ancestors. Thank God that in my country that won't happen.
Where
England's 9,000 medieval churches are greatest art collections in Europe.
They should be used as community centres. Not just for worship.
Farmers markets, Bingo, Youth clubs, WI, Judo lessons etc
'greatest art collections in Europe'. Never hear of Cromwell and the iconoclasts?
@@philphildebeers2075 What?
@@stephfoxwell4620 Go and look up 'iconoclasts' then read some history about the reformation in England.
@@stephfoxwell4620 Many historical churches were looted and converted by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, due to puritanic beliefs. It was felt that iconography and colourful imagery in churches was anti-God, and therefore should be ripped out.
Other religious buildings had been destroyed and looted under Henry VIII, almost a century prior to Cromwell. Almost all English and Scottish churches are therefore very plain, simple, and have no meaningful pieces of art - almost all of it stolen and sold by the government-of-the-day (c.1540-1660) for war, and can only be found in large country houses.
"And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." -Matthew Chapter 21 Verse 13, King James Version. Church is for Worship alone, the church hall is for the rest!
Irrespective of their intended use, these buildings are worthy of restoration and saving. I told a friend of mine why I'd donated to the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral - its contribution to the history of music can not be ignored. It would be nice if they could be returned to use, secular or sacred, but there's a lot of history in those buildings: artwork, monuments.
Well yes it should be kept open to anyone places of worship should always stay open and should not be attacked by anyone like all other religious places ❤
THE TV HAS A MORAL AD PATRIOTIC DUTY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO BACK TO MASS 1 A WEEK AT LEAST! NO WONDER THERE ARE SO MANY SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND SUICIDES, NOBODY TEACHES RELIGION PROPERLY TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. SO IS INEVITABLE VIOLENCE, BAD BEHAVIOUR ANTI PATRIOTIC, NOT RESPECTING OLD PEOPLE AND AUTHORITIES AND CHANTING GENOCIDAL SONGS IN UK STREETS!!!!
A locked Church is the private meeting place of a cult.
They are all part of our national heritage and should be saved
Why doesn't the Church Of England pay for them ??? They've got millions of pounds !!!!
@@garyh1572 As with our government who give all our hard earned cash to everyone else
Yes. Restore them so people with nowhere else to go can rely on a church for sanctuary. Help home the homeless.
Yes saving them for the history they contain and maintain, their the greatest treasure for the fact their history goes back farther than Britain’s know.
What a terrible question.
Well? What's the answer?
th-cam.com/video/KJtmyW2urUk/w-d-xo.html
Yes, even if a lot of people are moving away from the church, the cultural significance is too great to abandon these buildings, I have even seen some old churches being taken over & used by other religions, that’s not something we should allow
I can see a certain religion doing this. I hope they keep these churches for what they were intended or at least community use.
Absolutely they should these places are often the only buildings of merit in many rural and some inner city areas , they are worth saving for the beauty and heritage of these places
Convert them into libraries, cultural centres, places for poetry events, exhibition space and art studio space etc. Lottery money could be used to make this into a living space for the community.
It's important that these fine buildings are utilised for the happiness of the people in the community.
Of course our churches should be saved! Britain is a Christian country & we need to keep our identity alive!
No it isn't
COE needs to sell some of these churches to the multiple (largely immigrant) Protestant congregations that hire secular venues for weekly services.
Like it or not, it’s Christian immigrants that are keeping the Christian presence in the UK alive.
Maybe y'all need more immigrants from Latin America over in the UK.😅
What about conversion by the other Faiths?
Yup, give me One Traditional, conservative, Bible Believing, Actually Saved, Presbyterian or Confessional Reformed Baptist from Hungary or Armenia than One Thousand English Wesleyan-Arminian Heretics!
@@mikeoglen6848
That won't work when native Christians leave Christianity
I was thinking about other Faiths, really...@@ChickenArad1
I worked in a "converted" church in Camberwell back in about 1986 assembling flat pack office furniture. Being a Catholic it felt a bit strange working in a plece of worship but at the same time rather comforting. I remember my first day looking for a warehouse and thinking that can't be it surely it's a church but it turned out it was I was shocked !
As an Indian I strongly urge GB to restore the church buildings as they are your heritage.
A Church in England is the most beautiful thing in this world
In Germany we have a Church tax which is used to maintain the old cathedrals and churches. It is extra surcharge on Income tax which church members pay. For other old buildings other than the religious ones. The property tax is waived for new owners provided they repair it in the original architecture style, then they can use the building for a commercial purpose.
In Britain, England in particular, other religions are legally entitled to an equal percentage of that the taxation that covers old churches. ie, we open 4 mosques per week
@@karlosthejackel69 makes sense, there's a demand for mosques, there's next to no demand for churches
@@user-ih6oe9ny3j “a demand for mosques” ffs
Restore them but reuse them for other things. Similar to my view on castles.
These buildings are often works of art, they often contain burials inside. If they can't be used as churches then they need to start being used for the communities they serve, which to me is what church should be about. Helping others.
I would say restoring them to their former glory after all it is a church ( a Holy Spiritual place of worship and prayer) . Even if no Mass is being said - it can be used to house pilgrims and homeless people who can work on the premises and help grow the community. Rather, than doing the obnoxious thing and using them as pubs and restaurants. Everything has a place of value and the Church is of highest value. There is a price one pays when they don't think and act.
@merudasouza thats an interesting idea to use them to house homeless people, and for them then to work on them . Churches can be converted into beautiful homes , why not multiple occupancy homes ? And work places ? That sounds an idea worth exploring.
This is basically how churches and monasteries worked in the Middle Ages. Instead of becoming homeless people could become indentured servants and work on some land, be it secular or owned by the Church. In American I'm given to understand there are laws which prevent churches from housing homeless people. Not sure how it is in the U.K. Anyways, I'm definitely in favor of it.
Yes, they're patrimony. They need to be saved and restored
Speaking as an atheist, I love church buildings. Not all of them can be saved, but we should certainly make an effort. If nothing else, I see no reason why they shouldn't perform their traditional roles, but not necessarily in a religious way: as centres for the community to come together, as places of contemplation, and as places to hold the important ceremonies of our lives. If local communities could run their own church buildings with that aim in mind, hopefully with government support (either local or national), I'm sure that's something most people could get behind.
Churches can also be repurposed as museums, or nice local tearooms. I know a a couple of great indoor climbing centres which used to be churches.
I would say yes and immediately too. The United Kingdom is too beautiful.
the people should start to have more faith again✝️
Yes.
Medieval churches should be saved, and there should be no doubt in this matter. The buildings are unique and ancient and create an old English ambience to the countryside. I visit ancient churches, but I am not religious to any extent. I came across a ruined church near Wold Newton, Lincolnshire on my walks and that has been repaired sympathetically by the church trust recently, this included a new roof and stone work. An old country church represents Britain at its best.
It is our heritage they are beautiful to look at & should be saved. Modern buildings are so ugly & soul destroying.
Totaly agree, we seem to live in an age of ugly from plastic Conservatories to Elephantine armchairs....all mass produced tat.
The Church of England has a large endowment of £8.7 billion which generates approximately £1 billion a year in income (2019).
They are also happy to sell land for new build projects in villages even when the locals are against it.
We will need them when the revival happens.
Yes , two churches where I live are shops that sells carpets. Sad 😢
Fixing a slipped slate straight away prolongs life of buildings by decades and costs very little . I am astonished on lack of charitable fixing and loads of rip off full reroofs . As an ex builder i can say churches are `preyed` upon .
Did a detect a pun there?
The church is in your heart
The Church of England has an endowment of £8.7 billion, generating about £1 billion annually. Its investment portfolio managed by the Church Commissioners is worth £9.2 billion. The portfolio includes diverse assets like farmland and infrastructure, totaling over £2.5 billion. The Church's investment fund recently achieved record returns. Save the buildings, yes, but don't feel too sorry for them I'd say.
The Church of England is a business, they have enough money to repair all of these old buildings but for some reason they won’t. These old buildings should be deconsecrated , sold and put to better use.
Well said
I love the lady who saved the church ❤what a pure soul
Yes, they should! By all means. Not for the religion connotation but for their architectural and historical value.
Amen to that! Good luck to the UK.
Yes!!! Where else are beautiful windows like that?😊
Unfortunately the sheeple don't care about beautiful things only care about themselves
Yes. Save them.
Yes
Most of my ancestors built most of the uk historical churches some dating over 1000 years ago
Yes... please save them ...
I wonder whats caused so many people to simply abandon the faith of their ancestors?
Maybe they simply didn't want to believe something just because it was an ancestral belief?
For many, paying lip service to religious beliefs and rituals in which they do not believe feels like hypocrisy.
Canterbury and York becoming Apostate and Destroying the church with Damnable Heresies! A Christian cannot fellowship in an Apostate and Ichabod fallen church.
Looking for a decent, traditional, conservative, Bible Believing and Obeying Presbyterian or Confessional Reformed Baptist Church now.
@@OneTrueScotsman God once winked at such nonsense, but no longer does, and instead commands all men, everywhere to Repent.
Quite a dilemma for local communities trying to come to terms with the place religious worship has in the changing cultural landscape of the United Kingdom.
I feel Niall Gooch talks a lot of pragmatic sense when he considers the practical considerations faced by communities today, such as Housing and the best use of financial resources.
No getting away from it, that beautiful old church featured in the report, St Lawrence's, exemplifies the dilemma we face. Is it a valuable and irreplaceable example of the religious and cultural heritage of the United Kingdom? Or, is it an anachronistic specimen of an outmoded era, and a drain on the communities financial resources. I feel torn!
The former. Judging our past to be outdated is a fashionable fallacy; dismissing the actions of our own ancestors is similarly fashionable self-flagellation. So much can be lost before, as a society, we come to terms with it all.
❤❤❤yes it's our history and heritage ❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙌
I am for saving every one of these churches even if they are converted to other non-religous purposes, as long as they are well-maintained. The one in Sussex that looks to be a pub is gorgeous, and I have seen others that are the most beautiful restaurants with all architectural features and stained glass intact. To make one a community centre for the enjoyment of all is also commendable. The most divine use would be if a congregation could take on such project and then bring the church back to life as their place of worship. Many chuches now have chairs instead of pews, making it possible to invite the community to use it when religious services are not scheduled as a theatre for live performances, or clearing large areas of seats for community activities.
As a U.S. citizen, please save them! Think of tourists and others that enjoy the architecture and history! Could they spur some sort of arts/nature/performance center around these? Hopefully, money can be raised.
I would love to own and live in a church.
If people want these churches saved they really should support them financially and practically.
The lost sheep certainly was. Thanks be to the Lord God Jesus. 🎉
It makes as much sense as trying to keep a chronically ailing 99-year old alive with repeated defibrillation. Let it go. There is beauty, grace and a universal spirituality in accepting change and the ageing process.
The church has a silly amount of wealth and could do so much more, more like it used to do in the olden days of Christian philanthropy. It really hit me one day, walking into the church in the old town in Croydon - on one side of the entrance was a box labelled 'donations for the church spire repair' and on the other was a sign saying 'on no account can we give anyone any money'. how is that Christian??
I think many are worth saving. In Eastern Germany we turned many churches into libraries or centers for meeting and study. This way, the old superstitions could be replaced by education, and the real estate was put to good use.
Useful tip from an Englishwoman: it's centre (re), not 'center (er)', hence the we also have the combining forms centri-, centr-, centro-, denoting centre.
Please use and preserve our beautiful English language, rather than adopting unnecessary Americanisms. xx
@@pussypostlethwaitsaeronaut8503 Thanks for pointing this out to me. I realize (realise?) that for this article British spelling conventions may be preferable (preferrable?).
However, as I'm neither British nor American it does not really matter.
It’s unfortunate Germans would rather sit on their laurels and eat boterham on Sunday morning than go to church for 1 hour. The Muslims in Germany make the Christian’s look weak as water. Very sad.
@@erikt1713
What about in Poland churches?
@@ChickenArad1 The Polish proved more resilient in their faith. Most remained Catholic and even the Soviet Union could not change them.
Our churches should be preserved, it is who we are and where we came from. There’s no excuses, it’s part of our country and we have an obligation to the integrity of our nation
Contributed much yourself towards this worthy aim?
@@Climpus I have to every Sunday I’m a member of the Parish
Instead of abandoning them. Teach people about them. Teach people about Cymatics.
Fine architecture or historic significance speak for themselves. But if the building is not required for its original purpose, as churches are not, alternative use is the obvious path to preservation. And given the national shortage of housing, conversion to living accomodation is the most obvious and charitable possibility. But since Jesus was not averse to a good party, pubs, eating places, etc., seem equally appropriate.
Tenby Church is beautiful, and precious as a work of art. One does not have to be religious to save them. They are precious, and I separate spiritual places from often hypocritical religious Sunday services.
4:20 More development of housing?? What about Englands green and pleasant land!
After the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo,France ,was made to pay this country £1 million ,in war reperations , an act of parliament was passed,this called the " million "act. It was used to finance the building of churches in this country. In Wakefield 3 were built,at alverthorpe,thornes,& in my village of stanley.they were known as "Waterloo" churches.
Well done restore the old churches, rather them than mosques
If people actually went church then it would be a better country. I say this as a muslim.
Save all churches!! They are sacred ground.
This is history and cultural heritage. This is not a religious issue.
i think these buildings have been the focus of thier comunities for hundreds of years, they are part of who we are and have importaint historical relevance, it is so importaint that we know where we came from, especialy when our culture is changing rapidly
Yes, they should be saved. They are part of English history and a fundamental part of England. Don't let the Muslim religion overtake this lovely free country. We are in danger of dying out and our culture and freedom's lost.
Well might as well Abolish everything that’s British 🇬🇧 where has protected Heritage gone ? Countries like Italy for example tend to keep theirs ! So thinking for the tourists 👀! But yeah why not make Britain a big car park 🇬🇧
No question they should be restored,. As an American I envy the British for even having these very old buildings to save. Perhaps a tour of the works-in-progress could help with donations.
They can be repurposed if not used. Not as if we have a surfeit of places to live. Locally we have one that is now a care home, another student accommodation, several are theatres, antique shops, and pubs.
Absolutely.
The smaller churches.chaples do make lovely homes. I lived in one as a teen in the late 80s till I left home. My parents bought a small church that had ran into financial trouble a few years earlier and had to close because the congregation in the village it served just couldn't be bothered. After two years of renovation we moved in, open plan, two floors, 4 bedrooms and a kitchen built where the alter use to be under the main stained glass window that would light up with sunlight...Only problem, walking back from the village pub at night through the small grave yard would always get your imagination racing.
Shame on them for trashing our heritage
@@stephfoxwell4620 how
@@ChickenArad1 Converting churches and chapels to residential dwellings, businesses etc.
Outrageous.
IS THERE ANYWAY TO SUPPORT THIS LADY AND HER WORK?
They make good community centres, under new management.
People want churches ⛪️ to exist but couldn’t be bothered with the hard work of worship
Of course they should be rescued! Norwich has tons of them! It’s what makes Norwich, Norwich!
And I believe most are repurposed. Puppet Theatre, Art gallery, Art Centre etc.
@@susanwestern6434 Yes, and that's okay! :) It's certainly better than having it as a restaurant like in Sussex!
We should save these churches
Many of these are Chapels and Meeting houses, not Churches.
The Churches Conservation Trust look after 400 redundant medieval and Georgian churches. They get very little Government money.
Just donations.
They are definitely worth saving, but I suspect most of them will change into mosques as the years pass.
Far right satire.
Not the nicest of satire is it.
Sad to see a country and a people lose its spiritual and religious heritage, along with that, the visible, and physical reminders. These buildings are also a reminder of a peoples culture, customs, folklore, legends and history. What’s most disturbing is what is moving in to fill the void and replacing this lost heritage.
It's our heritage and it's beauty and art and if we can should preserve it , there's plenty of horrible ugly modern buildings that are derelict that can be knocked down an reused with out ruining the countryside and our history
The simple answer is "YES".
Of course they MUST be saved!!!!
Bishop Ramsbury needs to visit the converted churches and ask the community if they know the history of the disused church. I am willing to bet more than half have no clue as to the history. Anyone born in the 90's does not really care, it is something their nan or grandad would know.
Personally I think all churches should be retained as having them is an absolutely essential aspect of our collective history and we are in many ways quite unique in having such a diverse and numerous collection which permeate all parts of the UK. How they are repurposed is up to particular conditions and circumstances. Provided the structure and fittings are retained - then we have done our best.
All churches should be protected and be listed buildings . they are historic buildings being centuries old .
Even the concrete 1960's rubbish?
Just another ploy to dismantle the history of the country for a quick buck elsewhere. The country has become cheap and tacky.
These churches are living history, A connection to the past. its not just about function or the idea that every single thing has to have a purpose just to exist.
Yes definitely
I think that we have to look at them from several points of view. That many of them are old come from two traditions. From the medieval times they were the entry portal of the very rich to the kingdom of heaven which allowed access for the less wealthy and poor as well. For those only a hundred or two years old they were an area of communal desire for encompassing worship of the community. Where the communities have drifted away because there is little to no private housing in say a business district the buildings lose the religious significance but are still very impressive street architecture within the community and to find a community or private use for them becomes important to retain a semblance and identity of the communities historical growth.
The removal of religious right from the building does not invalidate the right of the buildings to exist in an alternative form of use.
In the counties of East Anglia we have the greatest collection of medieval buildings in the world bar none. Some villages have two religious buildings and some have a mixture of used and redundant for religious purposes. There are often a group of domestic buildings from all eras surrounding them. This is our past and we cannot walk away from it if we are to identify as people with a history of these islands. The alternative is to bulldoze anything we are not prepared to save which would be a noticeable part of our many communities across the whole of our country.
We are therefore faced with a problem broader than the just the religious buildings but all buildings of architectural significance so that owners and occupiers can have assistance in renovation or at least basic structural security until a suitable use can be found for them.
It is noticeable that in Prague the communist authorities renovated and restored many of their old and religious buildings and in Germany they have never been afraid to add modern integrated structures to then to make them fit with community desires.
God's house is worth saving..Cristians in muslim countries are awaiting for a small space to worship and here we are tslking about abandoning 😢😢😢😢
It’s crazy. In Birmingham many churches are bought and converted to mosque
Where is your source for your claim? Otherwise it needs to be stricken from the record.