An exciting project in Hartlepool will receive Lottery funding to secure a bright future for a church and its community.
The Grade I listed St Hilda’s Church in Hartlepool Headland, which is on Historic England’s ‘At Risk’ Register, has been awarded £587,360 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Heart of the Headland project will enable a range of repairs to be carried out, removing the 12th century building from the ‘At Risk’ Register and ensuring it continues to withstand the social and environmental challenges it faces being located near to the sea.
The project will also aim to deliver a programme of events to engage the community in the region’s heritage, through creative activities to help reposition the church as a sustainable hub for social and civic life, feeding into the Diocese’s aim for carbon neutrality by 2030.
It is one of six cherished placed which have been handed a new lifeline thanks to a combined £7.4m funding package. Others receiving capital are: Vicar’s Close in Wells, Somerset; St Peter’s Church in Forncett, Norwich; St Mary’s in Totnes, Devon; St Osyth Priory and Parish Trust, Clacton-on-Sea; and St Andrew’s Althorne Parochial Church Council in Chelmsford.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Places of worship, and the buildings associated with them, are some of our oldest and most cherished historic buildings and many play a key role as a gateway to our heritage and communities.
“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, these six fantastic projects will take vital steps towards securing a brighter and more sustainable future for places of worship and reimagine how they can connect with and benefit their communities.
“We are delighted to invest in these places of worship, ensuring that their heritage will be valued, cared for, and sustained, for everyone, now and in the future.”
Emily Gee, Director for Cathedral and church buildings at the Church of England, said: “We are delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has made these awards and deeply grateful, both to the Heritage Fund, and to the volunteers and staff who work so hard to ensure that these buildings, some of the oldest in Europe, remain sustainable into the future.
“Our churches are centres of spiritual and social support to their communities, as well as a cherished part of our national cultural heritage and shared historical inheritance. These grants will also help play our part in sustaining the extraordinary English choral tradition, so prized both in our country and across the world. We look forward to working with the Heritage Fund on these and other projects."
St Hilda’s holds several burial name stones uncovered during the 19th and early 20th century - artefacts which are unique to the North-East and significant for Anglo-Saxon Northumbria.
This article has been adapted from a National Lottery Heritage Fund press release. Read the full story, which includes details of the other projects to receive funding, here.
Photos
Top: Wintertide Festival at St Hilda's. Credit: Ian Pounder.
Left: St Hilda's at night. Credit: Dig Ventures.