Three churches that I've found locked recently. I've linked them to Simon Knott's Suffolk Churches website as he was lucky at visiting several years ago.
The first is Hunston ,in the small lanes north of the busy A14 between Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds
The church is still in use for one service a month but otherwise locked.
Simon Knott was able to get into this small thatched church below which is at Harleston not far from Stowmarket, in 2019, but now it's kept locked except for the occasional service.
Finally, Thwaite, a church not far from my village that isn't used at all but still stands looking sad and neglected. Simon Knott found a keyholder in 2011 and the back story but nothing has been done since.
These faces - headstops - are in the porch, the only bit open to see.
This small building stands closer to the road, it was once used as a Parish Room for the villagers but now boarded up and unused.
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Aren't abandoned churches sad to see.
ReplyDeletePenny
I was thinking the exact same thing. I suppose it's partly because there are fewer people working on the land these days.
DeleteHow sad...
ReplyDeleteSo sad that these lovely buildings are unused.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately numbers in rural congregations are dropping but towns and urban areas are increasing. The upkeep on a small village church can be nearly £12,000 a year with insurances, heating, maintenance, and keeping the building secure. Also each congregation has to pay its diocese approximately £1000 per person who attends regularly, this is called a share, which can be £20,000 which has to be fundraised, so over £30,000 has to be found from a small congregation who may not have a resident Priest/vicar, it s hard work when a lot of village attendees are well into their 70’s and 80’s. Of course the village still want use of church for weddings and baptisms, after all, it’s so pretty, but more churches will close as the older population dies off. It is indeed very sad but inevitable. Sarah Browne.
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