Historic England-Funded Roof Repairs Completed at Lancaster's St John's Church
Vital roof repairs at the historic Church of St John the Evangelist on North Road, Lancaster, have been successfully completed thanks to a £574,000 grant from Historic England. The project has not only made the Grade II* listed building watertight but also delivered exceptional training for people seeking careers in heritage building skills.
Combining conservation work and training
The comprehensive repair programme, which addressed critical roof and masonry issues caused by Storm Desmond flooding a decade ago, has demonstrated the power of combining urgent conservation work with heritage skills training.
During 5 intensive weeks last summer, 21 trainees took part in Historic England's Heritage Building Skills Summer School in the local area, with 17 working on-site at St John's.
The programme delivered 2,224 training hours across 6 specialist areas, including hot lime mixing, slate roofing, stonemasonry, joinery, plastering, and mud masonry. Trainees reported a significant increase in confidence levels, with 13 achieving Level 3 awards in Repair and Maintenance of Traditional buildings and 8 gaining qualifications in Energy Efficiency of Traditional buildings.
Transforming St John's future
With the building now safe from further water damage, the Churches Conservation Trust aspires to restore St John's role as a vibrant community hub. The phased approach will begin with small, stewarded visits, growing the volunteer group supporting the church's ongoing conservation, ultimately aiming to see the church open 5 days a week.
Improvements to the church facilities, such as reinstating the toilet and kitchen provision, will enhance the building's usability for community events and visitors.
The goal is for St John’s to function as both an event space and tourism hub at the heart of the area recently improved under Lancaster’s Historic England-sponsored High Street Heritage Action Zone and the Lancaster Conservation Area.
A model for heritage training
The success at St John's addresses critical skills shortages identified by Historic England research. Several traditional crafts are at risk of dying out, with particular concern about shortfalls in crafts such as flint knapping, gauged brickwork, stained glass making, and slating.
The project, delivered in partnership with Bullen Conservation and Lancaster and Morecambe College, demonstrates how heritage property owners and contractors can contribute to skills preservation whilst addressing essential conservation work.
Call to action
Historic England is encouraging other heritage property owners and conservation contractors to consider similar onsite training opportunities. The St John's model proves that combining vital repair work with structured training programmes delivers exceptional value for heritage preservation and skills development.
Strong public support for preserving historic churches
New research by Historic England published earlier this month revealed strong public support for preserving historic churches, even among those who do not regularly attend services or identify as religious.
This landmark economic study provides robust quantitative evidence that people are not only willing to pay to protect these buildings, but they place significantly greater value on historic churches than on comparable modern ones. Importantly, the research shows this value is tied to the buildings' historic character, not just their use.
Now that St John's is dry as a result of the roof repairs, the smell of damp has disappeared. We're looking forward to welcoming back increasing numbers of local people and visitors as further improvements create opportunities for the enjoyment and use of this remarkable Lancaster landmark.
The success of the works at St John's demonstrates exactly what can be achieved when heritage conservation and skills training come together. This isn't just about repairing one beautiful building - it's about safeguarding the future of the essential skills needed to maintain and restore much-loved historic places across the country.
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