HCT - The Past and Future

The Historic Chapels Trust was established in 1996 and is the only national charity in England to save and protect significant non-Church of England places of worship no longer used by their congregations.

Over the past 30 years, the Historic Chapels Trust took on responsibility for 20 of the most important Grade I and Grade II* listed places of worship in England, that at the time were in need of a new owner, as no other viable alternative use had been found.

Unfortunately the grant aid that had been essential for underpinning HCT’s ‘business model’ has declined over recent years. Despite significant efforts to find new sources of income, HCT has instead had to engage in the challenge of finding new sympathetic owners who can offer a more sustainable future.

Further details to the background to recent events have been published in our Supporters Newsletter, and are detailed in the Chairman’s report in the Summer 2023 Newsletter.

HCT has been fortunate to obtain funding to assist in both carrying out some urgently needed repairs to some of the chapels that have yet to be fully restored and to engage experienced conservation consultants to find new owners for the chapels.

Kathryn Moore, our Conservation Project Manager, obtained a set of reports prioritising the individual repair needs of all the chapels and has overseen a programme of the most urgent repairs required to nine of the chapels. In addition, with the assistance of colleagues, a programme of routine maintenance and repair has been followed through.

At the same time, HCT engaged Tricolor Associates to take forward the process of seeking suitable new owners for our chapels. This has involved conducting negotiations with a wide range of organisations and individuals and effecting transfers. Emma Collins is Tricolor’s Senior Project Manager and along with her colleagues has achieved significant progress with this sensitive and complex task.

At the time of this update, eight of HCT chapels have been transferred or sold into new ownership. The Friends of Friendless Churches have taken on four chapels/ meeting houses.

Details of websites where information about their owners, plans and access/events are as follows:-

Bethesda Methodist Chapel: https://re-form.org/heritage-buildings/bethesda/

Biddlestone Roman Catholic Chapel: https://friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/church/biddlestone-roman-catholic-chapel/

Coanwood Friends Meeting House: https://friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/church/coanwood-meeting-house/

Cote Baptist Chapel:
https://friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/church/cote-baptist-chapel/

Farfield Friends Meeting House:
https://friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/church/farfield-friends-meeting-house-west-yorkshire/

St George’s German Lutheran Church has been sold to the Council of Lutheran Churches and regular Sunday service will start soon. The CLC has agreed that the local Friends group can remain and continue to host events, details of which can be found at https://www.stgeorgesgermanchurch.org.uk/home

Dissenters Chapel, Kensal Green Cemetery. The lease to the chapel has been handed back to the owners, The General Cemetery Company. The chapel is currently home to the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery.

Grittleton Strict Baptist Chapel has been sold to an private owner – who will publish details of their plans in due course. Negotiations are close to conclusion at many other locations and we are pleased to mention that this will involve local friends groups taking on responsibility in three cases.