Nearly 1,000 historic cathedrals, churches and chapels across England are at risk of falling into disrepair amid a funding crisis, according to alarming new figures from the National Churches Trust.
The charity revealed that 53 additional places of worship were added to Historic England's 2024 Heritage at Risk Register in the past year.
This brings the total number of religious buildings at risk to 969.
The crisis primarily affects cathedrals, parish churches, chapels and meeting houses, with 958 such buildings now facing an uncertain future.
Norwich's Roman Catholic Cathedral has been added to the register due to risks of rapid deterioration
Wikimedia Commons
The dramatic increase comes amid a financial crisis fuelled by declining congregation numbers.
Over the past decade, 3,500 churches have closed their doors, with more closures potentially looming.
A crucial lifeline, the Listed Places of Worship scheme, which exempts religious buildings from paying VAT on restoration work, faces an uncertain future.
The 24-year-old tax relief programme is set to end in March next year unless renewed by the Treasury.
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In Ilfracombe, Devon, the Church of St Philip and St James faces severe challenges, with damage to its main window
Flickr
Currently, the scheme provides between £25million and £40million annually for VAT claims on restoration work.
Thirty-six Conservative MPs, church leaders and charities have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, urging her to maintain the vital support.
The scheme has already helped fund restoration work at almost 5,000 listed places of worship.
Sir Philip Rutnam, chairman of the National Churches Trust, warned that Britain's places of worship are "in danger as never before".
He expressed fears that the 53 newly listed churches, along with those already on the register, could be "left to rot and decay" due to funding shortages.
"If the VAT scheme, which has been in place in its current form since 2004, is not renewed, the costs of repairing a historic church to enable it to stay open would increase by a fifth," he said.
"We fear that if the scheme is not renewed, more historic churches will close."
St Martin church in Yapham, East Riding of Yorkshire, is also among the newly listed at-risk buildings
Geograph
The financial challenge is particularly stark for the Church of England, which faces a repair backlog exceeding £1billion.
The annual repair bill stands at £150million.
The Culture Department will decide on the scheme's renewal within months, though Sir Philip noted its Treasury spending settlement was less generous than other departments.
The geographical spread of at-risk religious buildings spans across multiple regions of England.
Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Devon, Cornwall, inner and central London, parts of Manchester and the East Midlands contain the highest concentrations of endangered historic churches.
More than 60 per cent of MPs in England have an at-risk religious building in their constituency, including Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Sir Ed Davey.
In Ilfracombe, Devon, the Church of St Philip and St James faces severe challenges, with damage to its main window, eroding stonework and water infiltration.
Norwich's Roman Catholic Cathedral has been added to the register due to risks of rapid deterioration.
St Martin Church in Yapham, East Riding of Yorkshire, is also among the newly listed at-risk buildings.
