Collecting CHURCH SALVAGE

JANET GLEESON talks to Richard Ives of Robert Mills Architectural Antiques

If you are looking for a striking architectural feature for your home, ecclesiastical antiques could be the answer. When churches are deconsecrated, the fixtures and fittings often find their way onto the architectural salvage market, which is a rich hunting ground for collectors. This is a world of infinite variety, encompassing all manner of furniture and decorative pieces, from pews, lecterns and chapel chairs, to textiles, stained glass and candlesticks, all of which can be absorbed into a contemporary domestic setting to create practical furnishings and bold statements. Quality and individuality are the

key attractions for buyers. ‘In Victorian times, when many of our churches were built, the most highly respected architects and designers of the day were involved in their construction. The craftsmen they employed would have been working for the greater glory of God, and the materials used were of the highest quality,’ explains Richard Ives of Robert Mills Architectural Antiques in Bristol.

When buying ecclesiastical salvage, Ives urges us to be imaginative with repurposing pieces and to mix things up. ‘One client built a gothic kitchen using pew ends for cupboard doors. Another, a well-known film producer, used fretwork, friezes and cherubs to make an extravagant bed.’

Accurate dating from the Victorian period on can be tricky, as the gothic revival style remained popular until after the Second World War and quality is nearly always good.

In general, the current market is not as buoyant as it has been, and is much more driven by domestic demand. Prices are as varied as the objects themselves. You could find an ordinary Victorian pine pew for £50 to £100, but a designer name makes all the di erence, so a simple table by Pugin will fetch £300– £10,000. Statuary depends heavily on the quality of the figure and carving, and starts from £250, while £50 might buy a small stained-glass panel, with prices rising according to size and quality of decoration. Where to buy: * Robert Mills 0117 955 6542; rmills.co.uk * Drew Pritchard 01492 580890; drewpritchard.co.uk * English Salvage 01568 616205; englishsalvage.co.uk

FROM LEFT Two gothic oak panels from a church in Herefordshire, £120 each; John Taylor & Co church bell with bracket and clanger, stamped with maker’s name, £ 875; reclaimed painted pine pew with crenellated ends, £ 295, all from English Salvage