UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
LISTED BUILDINGS ADVISORY GROUP
Discussion Paper: Disposal of Fittings and Furnishings from Listed Churches
Offered by Elizabeth Conran
This subject surfaced for me a few years ago, when I read an article in "Reform"
about a United Reformed Church which had raised money for, I think, a development
project, by selling some historic communion silver. I don't remember the processes of
sale, but what struck me was that that the local community didn't seem to get the
chance to acquire these objects before they were sold on the open market. This
seemed to me a great loss to the local community.
A similar situation has arisen recently concerning a helmet (Flemish, c.1500), which
hung above the tomb of Sir Thomas Hooke in the parish church of Wootton St.
Lawrence, Hampshire. The helmet had been lent to the Royal Armouries for 40 years
for safety. The church did make a tentative approach to the museum about purchase,
but then put it into public auction, where it went to a private collector, who has
applied for an export licence. There have been several irregularities about the sale
process. The Church Buildings Council has been strongly critical of the removal of
the helmet from the church. Charity Commission regulations have been invoked
about obtaining maximum sale price. The case is still being examined.
The new concept of "significance" as a basis for listing buildings surely covers
fittings, and even furnishings, if all combine to create an environment, which deserves
to be listed. Many fonts predate their church buildings, windows may be by good
stained glass artists, tombs and monuments may be by important sculptors, war
memorials are precious to local communities.
It seems to me that there is a case for producing national guidelines to church
authorities about caring for furnishings and fittings in listed churches, and about
procedures for disposing of the same, especially when a church is made redundant.
These would prevent irregularities through ignorance, and would help preserve
important items for local communities, or the nation.
Other groups concerned with heritage have guidelines for good practice, in the
necessary destruction of archaeological sites, demolition of listed buildings, and for
the disposal of items in public collections. (For the Museums Association Code of
Ethics for Museums, see: http://www.museumsassociation.org/collections.) Since
churches have the privilege of managing their own buildings, and should be
concerned about acting ethically, it would be helpful to have church guidelines for
demolition or disposal of furnishings and fittings from listed churches, so as to
preserve items of historical or artistic worth for the public.
Might the United Reformed Church raise this proposal with English Heritage, other
denominations, and organisations with special interest in this subject, eg the Charity
Commission. We need to know what procedures exist now, and then see whether we
can find common ground nationally. Then we could try to create a national Code of
Practice for Churches, in relation to demolition, dispersal and sale of items of historic
and artistic interest belonging to churches. It would save a lot of heart-ache and anger
if this could be achieved.