The Churches Conservation Trust is the national charity caring for historic churches that are no longer used for regular worship. All of the churches in its care are listed – most are grade one listed and some are scheduled ancient monuments. This year we celebrate 40 years of saving historic churches at risk and encouraging people to visit and enjoy the unique experiences that these sacred places provide.
Parish room extension to the church of St John the Baptist © English Heritage/National Monuments Record
Visiting your local church
As a teacher, where else could you introduce your students to a microcosm of a thousand years of history just by opening a door? Your parish church is likely to be one of the oldest structures in your area and will provide easy access to first-hand evidence that is not available within a normal classroom environment.
Through on-site activities, students can investigate the church's place within the landscape and local community, its local history and design, and the development of religious architecture. Visits offer a chance to find out about the power and patronage of the Church at the same time as developing skills in deduction, discussion, data gathering and processing and cooperation.
Exploring the building
A good place to start is the history of the building itself – was it designed for a particular type of religious service? If the original purpose changed over time, the building may have been changed too. Students can look for evidence in blocked-up windows and doors or roof-scars which reveal changes in the height of the building. You can also examine the joints between walls to see whether they were all built at the same time and look at whether the windows are all the same shape, style and size?
Building design often gives clues to social status. Perhaps the architect planned the building to be used by different groups of society without their having to come into contact. At Chichester St John's, servants entered by a separate entrance and climbed upstairs to their gallery seats. Sometimes new churches were paid for by selling the seating with labels indicating who each pew belonged to.
Stained glass window © Alys Tomlinson
Conservation work
Painstaking conservation work underpins all the Trust's activities. Its aim is to prevent sacred spaces from falling into disrepair and to keep traditional craft skills alive. School Conservation days enable students to learn about traditional craft skills through hands-on activities.
For example, at Evesham, key stage two and three students worked on panels of lath and plaster and identifed the repairs needed to the building. Establishing long-tem links with schools enables students to see the church as part of their local heritage.
Educational resources
The Trust offers a range of support to help students understand churches, including downloadable booklets for teachers. The Exploring Churches book is full of suggestions for on-site work, with a timeline and resources for photocopying. We also have a Sacred Art CD-Rom and the learning section of the Trust’s website is full of project ideas and interactive historical models.
Taking your students to study the architecture of one of these buildings, its ongoing conservation or possible new uses, will help to produce informed and enthusiastic citizens, fully conversant with their country's heritage. Take a look at the Visit Churches website to find out if you have an outstanding Trust church nearby to visit.
