All Saints church in Muggleswick, County Durham, could have had a very different future. Like many other historic rural churches, the building is running at a loss. With a reduced population in the area due to loss of agricultural and mining employment, the church was running out of options.
But the dedicated team at All Saints have decided to invest in their building – which will see the building turned into a destination for camping as well as remaining open for worship. It's got other rural churches watching eagerly to see the outcome.
In order for the church to do this, it needed to raise substantial funds. Thankfully, help is on hand. The much-loved church is to share in a £735,326 urgent funding payout from the National Churches Trust.
An £18,986 National Churches Trust Grant will help the church to add a new servery and an accessible toilet and make the church watertight and weatherproof by replacing the roof, as well as repairing cracks in the building.
All of this will make the church building a much more welcoming space for visitors. The church is planning to host ‘champing’ [church camping] inside the church, which will create an income stream for the church and make it sustainable for the future.
There are plans to work with North Pennines Area of Natural Beauty, Durham Northern Saints Trails and the Sanctuary Network Project to help promote the church to a place to visit – putting Muggleswick firmly on the tourism map.
To support this, the church will be creating new interpretation to help share the local history of the building and surrounding area with tourists, encouraging them to spend more time in the area. This interpretation includes a self-guided walk that will take in the beautiful local nature reserve and the nearby Grade I Listed ruins of Muggleswick Grange.
This new use will create some employment and volunteering opportunities for local people.
Visit County Durham, in a viability assessment of the project, shared that there is “an overall undersupply of visitor accommodation in the county and this project would be a very welcome and innovative addition to our portfolio.”
Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said:
"The National Churches Trust is delighted to be able to support All Saints Church to enable them to carry out urgent repairs, as well as add in a kitchinette and accessible toilet to their beautiful building. Not only will this protect this important heritage, but it will help to keep the church building open and serving local people.”
“Whether seeking quiet reflection, access to community services or a place to worship, the National Churches Trust helps hundreds of churches each year and with the support of local people, keeps them thriving today and tomorrow.
Helen Barrass and Lynne Bean Churchwarden’s at All Saints Church, Muggleswick, Said
“We were absolutely delighted to hear that we have been awarded this grant. This completes our fundraising project. Along with grants received from other funders, it will enable us to commence the works we have planned.”
“We are very grateful for the support of The National Churches Trust, this will secure the future of this much-loved church which has been part of the community for hundreds of years.”
“All Saints, Muggleswick will be the first church in Co Durham to offer ‘champing’ accommodation as well as remaining open for worship.”
How the grant will help the church
The roof will be replaced. A servery and an accessible toilet will be installed. All of this will help make the church sustainable for the future.
More about the church
All Saints sits on top of a hill overlooking Muggleswick Grange and the Nature Reserve woodlands. It lies on the Way of Light Northern Saints Trail midway between Heavenfield and Durham Cathedral. It is also on the North Pennines National Landscape Roof of England Long Distance Trail.
There has been a religious presence on this site since Anglo-Saxon times. All Saints was built in the 18th century, restored in the 19th century and has many 20th century furnishings.
Much of the church’s interior furnishings were donated by the Ritson family of the nearby Calf Hall.The east window, the organ, the alter rails, the choir stalls, the pulpit and lectern are all Ritson memorials and two grandsons, both holders of the MC and one the holder of the V.C., are remembered on a plaque found on the south wall. The Ritson family made their fortunes in the coal industry.
Outside the church in the graveyard are nine Grade II Listed graves from 1686-1860, including a dissenter linked to the Gunpowder plot!
Significant help for churches
87 churches across the UK will stay open and in good repair thanks to £735,236 – almost ¾ of a million pounds – of funding awarded and recommended by the National Churches Trust in this latest round of grants.
In 2023, the National Churches Trust made over 180 grant awards to churches throughout the UK, with funding totalling more than £2 million. This has helped to save over 70,000 years of precious heritage.
The National Churches Trust helps churches through our extensive grants programme. Grants are available for churches of any Christian denomination that are open for regular worship to fund urgent repairs, maintenance, installing toilets or kitchens and feasibility studies to develop projects. Full details are at: nationalchurchestrust.org/grants