Churches all over the country are to share £15.7 million to pay for urgent repair work this year, and the biggest payout will go to an architectural gem in Herefordshire.
Shobdon Church, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, has been singled out from other Grade I and II* listed places of worship for the biggest award from the grants provided by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Money given to churches in the West Midlands amounts to a £1.9 million and Shobdon Church is to receive £682,000.
The announcement was made at Shobdon on Thursday, where it was stated that more than £15.7 million has been offered to support urgent repair work to 154 Grade I and II* listed places of worship in England.
Since 2002, grants to the tune of £123 million have been awarded to more than 1,300 similarly graded churches.
However, the sum awarded to Shobdon’s distinctive strawberry gothic-style church is the largest amount this year in the country under the joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme.
At Shobdon for the announcement was English Heritage historic buildings architect Chris Miners, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands Anne Jenkins and the vicar, Rev Julie Read.
