Anglican Church in London to get £639,000 grant to be saved from demolition

St Mary's Church is under a threat of demolition due to a lack of funds for urgent repairs. Photo: BBC

The Anglican Grade II listed St Mary's Church in Somers Town in north-west London will receive £639,000 to save it from the threat of demolition due to its current poor condition. This was reported by the BBC.

The grant will allow for the most urgent work to be carried out – repairing the west facade of the Gothic-style building.

In December 2023, the building required restoration costing £1.7 million, prompting local authorities to raise the issue of its demolition.

Historic England stated that they would provide the church administrators with the opportunity to seek additional funding for the restoration of the rest of the building.

According to a representative of Historic England, this grant is part of a larger Heritage at Risk Capital Fund amounting to £15 million, which is distributed among 37 sites in England that are at risk of "dereliction or demolition". The fund prioritizes sites serving disadvantaged communities and providing local benefits – from job creation to cultural events.

As reported by the UOJ, on July 30, 2025, Bishop of Monmouth Cherry Vann was elected the new Archbishop of Wales, becoming the first woman and openly lesbian to head an Anglican See in the United Kingdom.

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