HERITAGE groups have nominated a once-imposing 600-seater Victorian church for inclusion on a global at-risk list, and urged the diocese of Manchester not to let the building be demolished.
Friends of Friendless Churches (FOFC) and Save Britain’s Heritage want St John the Evangelist, Crawshawbooth, in Lancashire, to be added to the World Monuments Fund’s 2027 watch list.
They said in a joint statement this week that the purpose of their nomination was to save the Grade II* listed church for a new purpose, and to “shine a spotlight on the crisis confronting places of worship across the UK”.
St John’s sits at the edge of the Pennines. It was built between 1890 and 1892 to a design by the Lancaster architects Austin & Paley, whose churches include Lancaster Cathedral.
St John’s Historic England listing, which was last updated in 1984, described the church as “large and imposing”, with an “impressive design” and “fine and complete fittings”.
The church closed in 2012 after a series of damaging lead-thefts from the roof, which the dwindling congregation could not afford to repair. St John’s has suffered ongoing deterioration and the Church of England’s webpage of buildings for sale warns that it is “in an extremely poor condition and requires extensive works”.
Save Britain’s Heritage and FOFC’s statement this week said that two groups had expressed interest in the church, but no sale had followed.
“The church’s disuse reflects wider national and global social shifts — declining attendance, shrinking congregations and increasing difficulty in funding repairs.
“Securing a new community-focused use or finding innovative solutions to funding, offers a way to carry the significance of these buildings into the future, preserving their historic social and religious traditions while adapting them to modern needs.”
A spokeswoman for the diocese of Manchester said that it would consider demolition only “as a last resort”.
“We recognise the importance of St John’s, Crawshawbooth, to many people locally and the concern surrounding its future,” she continued. “The diocese continues to consider all options for the site carefully, balancing heritage significance with safety, sustainability, and the significant challenges of maintaining large historic church buildings. Our aim remains to reach an outcome that is responsible, transparent, and mindful of the wider pressures facing places of worship across the country.”