Can You Modernise Medieval Churches Whilst Preserving Them?

Working on church buildings requires extremely careful management because they are often historic buildings with a heritage and meaning to local communities that is priceless.

This is a dilemma seen, for example, by the Church of St John the Baptist in Llanwarne, South Herefordshire, which is a Grade II listed building which has been at risk of serious deterioration for centuries.

Ever since its functionality was replaced by Christ Church in 1864, the increasingly decrepit ruins face flooding that increasingly risks its priceless medieval architectural features.

It is one story of many throughout the country where communities are left with the choice of either abandoning heritage architecture or modernising it in a way that potentially puts its historic character at risk.

However, there are ways to restore and renovate churches to meet accessibility and regulatory requirements without losing their character.

It starts by thoroughly examining the key defining features that need to be preserved at as early a stage as possible, ensuring that you have a clear list of features that need to be authentically preserved as much as is feasible.

The next step is to focus on modern needs first before modern wants. Certain modernisation and renovation features are far more necessary than others, and by prioritising them first, you can seamlessly integrate them into the restored design.

This typically involves structural reinforcements and the incorporation of fire safety and emergency features in a way that harmonises with the historic character of the building.

Finally, accessibility is critical for churches, but there are ways to incorporate vital features without affecting the character of the building.

Beyond this, the restorations should be sympathetic and undertaken by experts in historic construction techniques.
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This is particularly important for historic masonry and restoring damaged stained glass pieces, both of which could be badly affected by restorations that do not adequately take both the historic and practical needs of the church into account.