Urgent repairs to eight historic chapels

Thanks to £3.689million funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund’s COVID-19 Response Fund, eight at-risk listed chapels will undergo urgent repairs before suitable long-term owners are sought.  

Eight chapels

Grade I listed

• Todmorden Unitarian Church

Grade II* listed

• Westgate Primitive Methodist Chapel, County Durham
• Umberslade Baptist Chapel, Stratford-upon-Avon
• Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Stoke-on-Trent
• Petre Chapel, Brentwood 
• Wainsgate Baptist Church, Hebden Bridge
• Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Blackpool
• St Benet’s Chapel, Netherton

Impacted by the pandemic

The chapels are cared for by the Historic Chapels Trust. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the already-vulnerable buildings. Restricted access for visitors and volunteers has led to substantial loss of income, including a significant reduction in donations and hire charges. Limited maintenance access has made repairs much more urgent. 

Urgent repairs 

Thanks to NHMF funding, the vital repairs will remove immediate risks and allow visitors and volunteers to re-access chapels where this has been prohibited. It will also pay for maintenance and insurance for three years.

Long term owners will be sought

The Historic Chapels Trust’s income has been devastated by the pandemic. They are now no longer able to care for the chapels. They will work in partnership with the Churches Conservation Trust and Historic England to repair them before finding suitable long term owners. 

NHMF’s COVID-19 Response Fund

The £500,000  funding comes from the government’s Cultural Assets Fund, which NHMF has distributed as part of our wider £40m COVID-19 Respond Fund.