Church close to demolition is rescued

A CONSERVATION group has pledged to restore a Grade II listed church closed since 2007.

St Helen’s in Barmby on the Marsh, near Howden, dates back to the 1400s.

The charity Friendless Churches has signed the transfer of the lease to St Helen’s from the Diocese of York, which had struggled to find another use for the church since worship ended.

The charity will now raise funds to restore the building, which requires significant repair work.

It was put up for sale in 2011 but no buyers came forward and by 2014 demolition was mooted because of the extensive maintenance needed to keep the structure safe.

A spokesman for Friendless Churches said: “The diocese spent seven years seeking a new use for St Helen’s. Demolition seemed the only answer. Access was complicated, the building was in poor condition. It’s easy to see why this decision was reached.

“In 2019 we held a public consultation and were astonished by the number of people who wanted to see the church restored.

“It will be a long road. We will need to raise a lot of money but we are delighted we could save this church.”