Places of Worship

England’s historic places of worship are managed and maintained by thousands of volunteers who give their time and raise money to make them fit for use. Historic England supports their faithful efforts to care for these special places, keeping them open for worship and many other cultural, social, and educational purposes in the 21st century.

A wide range of denominations and faiths are using historic buildings. Most are Christian churches or chapels, but there is also a rich heritage of meeting houses, synagogues, gurdwaras, temples, mandirs and mosques, plus an increasing number of secular buildings now being used by faith groups, such as former schools and cinemas. If they are open for public worship six times a year, then they count as places of worship. Our job is to offer advice to all of these groups to help them secure sustainable futures for historic places of worship.