A GRADE II listed church in Camden, in north-west London, has been given more than £600,000 for “urgent repairs” so that it can “continue to serve the local community”. St Mary’s, Somers Town, which faces threats of closure and demolition because of its poor condition, has been awarded £639,064 for urgent repairs.
The grant is part of £15 million in funding announced by the Government and Historic England last Thursday through the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund. The allocation will be shared across 37 sites in England, with the aim to create “new jobs and community spaces”.
The most pressing work at St Mary’s is the damage to the west front of the 1820s Gothic-style building, which is already under protective scaffolding. The project includes “repairs to failing masonry, brickwork and joinery as well as repointing, cleaning and improved drainage.”
The parish priest, the Revd Paschal Worton, said on Wednesday that the grant was a “very generous gift which will help to preserve the heritage of this important building in the life of Somers Town. This parish has a long history of deprivation and cramped living conditions, and the church has always been a beacon of hope for people here.”
The parish is associated with the work of the Anglo-Catholic housing reformer Basil Jellicoe, who was a curate and the head of the Magdalene College Mission there from 1922 to 1931.
The money will help with phase one of the campaign to restore the building, Mr Worton said, ahead of the second phase which is likely to run into several millions of pounds over the next decade. The parish is among the most deprived in the country (Comment, 29 November 2024).
Posting on social media, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, said that Historic England’s funding “prioritises sites that serve disadvantaged communities and deliver strong local benefits, which St Mary’s does in abundance”, and that the grant would help “preserve the church for future generations”. She said that she was “delighted that the government recognises the timeless impact of our historic churches, which continue to be treasured by the public today”.
The Director of Regions at Historic England, Louise Brennan, said: “Thanks to the extra funding from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, we are able to breathe new life into neglected historic buildings that we haven’t been able to help through our existing grant schemes.
“This initiative will not only boost economic growth but also create amazing opportunities for people in some of the nation’s most disadvantaged areas. We’re thrilled to support projects that harness the power of heritage to make a real difference where it’s needed most.”
Speaking for the Government, the Heritage Minister, Baroness Twycross, said that “our extraordinary heritage weaves together the stories that define who we are as communities and as a nation.
“We are delivering on our Plan for Change, through the Heritage at Risk Fund, by breathing new life into treasured places, buildings and monuments across the country, helping to increase opportunities and ensuring that future generations have access to our rich heritage.”