The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded more than £7.3 million to help maintain four historic churches.
The recipients are St Mary Le Strand (£4,630,000 awarded), St Mary Magdalene, Stockland (£2,057,916 awarded), St John the Baptist Church, Nash (£561,305 awarded) and St Monans Auld Kirk, Fife (£115,841 awarded plus a potential delivery grant of £1,876239).
St Mary le Strand will use the funds for its Jewel in the Strand Project, which aims to restore and redevelop the 18th century church and its gardens. It is hoped that the project will allow the church to open its doors to the many people and communities who pass through and live in the cultural centre of London.
Canon Peter Babington, Priest in Charge of St Mary le Strand, said, “We are hugely grateful to the players of the National Lottery. This generous grant will help transform St Mary le Strand for generations to come and to become once again the Jewel in the Strand.”
Ruth Duston OBE, OC, Chief Executive of London Heritage Quarter, said, “St Mary le Strand is a much-loved landmark at the heart of the Northbank district and the transformed Strand Aldwych, and we are delighted to see this wonderful funding awarded.
"This investment will not only help secure the church’s future but will also enrich the cultural life of the area for everyone who lives, works and visits here.”
St Mary Magdalene in Stockland is a Grade II listed church and will use its award to conduct vital structural repairs to the tower and roof. The church’s Parallel Lives project aims to have the building removed from Historic England’s “At Risk” register. Work will also be undertaken to improve facilities and accessibility.
St John the Baptist Church in Nash, another Grade II listed building, will be using the funds to repair its tower, south nave roof and its rare early Reformation spire which dates to 1562. Also like St Mary Magdalene, it is hoped that the work will allow the church to be removed from the “At Risk” register.
Finally, St Monans Auld Kirk in Fife, which is one of the oldest churches in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period, is attempting to transform into a social hub, café and heritage destination. The Church of Scotland had announced plans to sell the church, but six local residents formed St Monans Auld Kirk Enterprise (SMAKE) in a bid to keep the church active in community life.
