A church for us is more than a building – it is a sacred space, filled with God's presence.
Everything within that sacred space – the paintings, the statues, the stained glass – exists for a spiritual purpose.
Taking Stock is a project of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales that provides an architectural and historical assessment of churches in regular use for public worship. The featured buildings are mainly diocesan parish churches, but the project also includes churches owned by religious orders and institutions, where these are in regular public use and where the owners have agreed to participate in the project. Visit our dedicated website for Taking Stock.
Part of the management of historic churches, and any church, is the continuing care for the fabric and furnishings.
Under the Ecclesiastical Exemption Order 1994 churches and chapels in use for worship are exempted from some of the provisions of planning legislation subject to approved alternative controls and procedures being exercised by Church authorities.
