From stained glass to medieval graffiti: annual conservation grants for churches revealed

More than £260,000 was distributed by the Church of England last year to support conservation of historic items and works of art in parish churches, from stained glass and organs to curtains, a carpet and an 18th century Bible famous for its misprints.

A total of £262,980 was awarded in 2024 to 124 projects in 33 dioceses, including wall paintings, monuments, church bells and even medieval graffiti.

The conservation grants programme Is administered by the Church of England’s Cathedral and church buildings department from funds provided by The Pilgrim Trust, The Radcliffe Trust, the Anglican Parish Churches Fund, The Oswald Allen Fund, the Gunnis Fund and the Church of England Net Zero Fund.

Projects funded with support from The Pilgrim Trust include conservation of curtains by the pioneering 20th century textile artist Hilary Bourne, at St Margaret’s Church in Ditchling, Sussex, in the Diocese of Chichester.

The artist was famous as a textile designer, working with her partner Barbara Allen to produce designs for a range of events from the Festival of Britain to Charlton Heston’s costume in the 1959 blockbuster film Ben Hur.

The hand spun, handwoven curtains usually hang across the West Door of the church and were created in 1980 in memory of Bourne’s mother and sister.

All Saints Slingsby, in the Diocese of York, received a Pilgrim Trust supported grant for the refurbishment of its 19th century clock, (pictured, below) described as the ‘heartbeat’ of the village.

The clock was made in 1838 by James Harrison, a great, great nephew of John 'Longtitude' Harrison whose clocks revolutionised navigation at sea. 

Kate Giles, Secretary of All Saints Parochial Church Council, (PCC) said: “When the clock stopped temporarily I received lots of messages from our local community asking what was happening and saying that it was part of their soundscape - and they missed it.

“Many of the people who sign Slingsby's visitors book describe its steady ticking as the 'heartbeat' of the church and of the village.

“We are so grateful for this grant which will help us to ensure Slingsby's clock keeps time for generations to come.”

St Margaret’s Edgware, in the Diocese of London, received a Pilgrim Trust supported grant for the conservation of the tomb of the 19th century blacking factory millionaire Charles Day.

Day’s disputed will is thought to have been the inspiration for the long running legal case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce in Charles Dickens Bleak House but his tomb had been largely forgotten until it was discovered by his great-great-grandson, Neil Price in 2015.

The Radcliffe Trust and the Pilgrim Trust jointly provided funding to St Mary the Virgin church in Buscot, Faringdon, in the Diocese of Oxford, for the conservation of its 19th century East window depicting ‘The Good Shepherd’, (detail, pictured above, credit: Dan Humphries Stained Glass Ltd) by Morris & Co, to a design by Edward Burne Jones.

Dr Amy Lim, Curator of the Faringdon Collection who is supporting the conservation work, said the window had been affected by condensation from the nearby River Thames.

“The conservation work will restore it and protect it for the future. It is an east window and the only light above the altar. It is a focal point for the church,” she said.

Funds have also been made available by the Pilgrim Trust and the Radcliffe Trust for the conservation of medieval stained glass in four windows at St Julitta church in Lanteglos, the mother church of Camelford and Helston in the Diocese of Truro.

The stained glass is famous for its association with the Morton family, one of whose members, John Morton, became Archbishop of Canterbury in the 15th century.

A carpet made for the sanctuary – the area around the altar - of St Mary Magdalene Church in Latimer, Chesham, in the Diocese of Oxford, has received a Pilgrim Trust supported grant towards its conservation after becoming so worn that it was put into storage.

The embroidered, cross stitch carpet with a colourful floral design was made in around 1870 and was in continuous use until 2017.

Dr Helen Leary, churchwarden, said: “The congregation and community will be really pleased to see it back in place and restored.

"It was designed by the second Lady Chesham, whose husband paid for the enhancement of the church by the famous Gothic revival architect George Gilbert Scott.

“It is a tangible link to the Chesham family, who lived close by, and to Scott himself, whose uncle was the Rector and lived opposite the church."

The total spending for 2024 has been published after the Church of England opened a new expanded fund of £4.68 million for the conservation of special historic and cultural items in parishes, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Emily Gee, Director for Cathedral and Church Buildings for the Church of England, said: “I am hugely grateful to our funders who do so much to help enable this crucial conservation work and thrilled that the Church of England’s conservation grants scheme is being expanded this year, to help even more churches with their projects, as a result of the brilliant support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

“Every precious item or monument detailed in this report is cared for by volunteers and supporters who give their time and expertise so generously to preserving the special heritage of Church of England churches. I would like to express our immense gratitude to them for their dedication to such an important shared heritage.”

Other items that have been funded include:

• St Martin’s in Epsom in the Diocese of Guildford has been awarded a grant from the Oswald Allen Bequest for a conservation report on a copy of the so-called ‘Vinegar Bible’ printed in the 18th century. It was famous for its misprints, most notably where the Parable of the Vineyard appeared as the ‘Parable of the Vinegar’.
• St Peter’s Church in Wallsend in the Diocese of Newcastle, has received a Pilgrim Trust supported grant to assess the conservation needs of its stained glass windows made by early 20th century ‘Tower of Glass’ Irish artists Ethel Rhind and Michael Healy.
• St Peter and St Paul Church in the parish of Wingrave with Rowsham in the Diocese of Oxford has been awarded a Pilgrim Trust supported grant for a conservation report on medieval graffiti on one pillar and painted plaster on its tower arch.