Work under way on plan for historic ‘eyesore’ church site
BUILDERS have hit the halfway mark at a South Gloucestershire “eyesore” steeped in history.
Masters Church in Kingswood is in the middle of a complex restoration and transformation project, through which Crossman Homes will turn the interior into 19 flats and build three houses next to it.
It shares a plot of land with the even more dilapidated Whitfield Tabernacle, a derelict church dating back to the 18th century, which was at serious risk of collapse.
Whitfield Tabernacle Trust is working on a separate plan to restore its use as a community building, but for now has managed to make the urgent repairs necessary to keep it standing.
Crossman confirmed the work at Masters Church is “half way to being completed”.
A planning application seeking permission to stabilise the Tabernacle, which was approved in June, said: “The buildings are in a parlous state of decay and are dangerous and an issue of concern for all members of the community consulted.
“Historic England has stated that the Whitfield Tabernacle is the most important listed building in the worst condition in the whole of the South West region.”
It is also the only Grade I Listed building in the town and described as “the most significant heritage asset” there.
The graveyard next to Masters Church will be turned into a ‘pocket’ public park run by South Gloucestershire Council, dotted with about 40 of the existing gravestones.
Dozens more gravestones, which were in poorer condition, have been relocated nearby.
Janet Bowles, who grew up in the Kingswood area, says one of the headstones that will be retained belongs to her late grandmother, and another to her grandmother’s brother.
She visited the burial site a few years ago and said she was “devastated” to see it covered in “brambles five feet high”, making it impossible to reach the gravestones.
The Nottingham resident said: “I remember going to the graves with my grandmother and putting flowers there.
“It was all overgrown when I visited, it was really quite upsetting.
“I’m glad they’re doing something with it. It was so awful.”
Brad Highes, managing director at the Crossman Group, said: “We welcome any relatives to contact us if they have any concerns about ancestors’ graves.
“Some of the gravestones were in a state of disrepair and were not able to remain in situ, so they have been moved to the modern graveyard to the north of the development or positioned safely next to Park Road.
“The more robust gravestones have been retained, so about 40 of them will remain within the new park area.
“We have donated this new park area and the modern graveyard to the local authority [South Gloucestershire Council] for the community to enjoy for decades to come.” Last month Angus Meek Architects, which is working on Masters Church, said construction workers were focusing on the “firedamaged roof structures”. Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore ( left) visited the site in August with other civic leaders, sharing images of a huge web of scaffolding inside the vast building.
The urgent works at Whitfield Tabernacle were completed the previous month in July, including securing window spaces with new lintels and making the building safe for stabilisation work.
This is expected to start later in the year, funded by a grant from the West of England Combined Authority.
Chair of the Tabernacle trustees, Reverend Anthony Hick, said: “Although the ultimate aim of our trust is to develop the Tabernacle as a useful community building, our first priority has always been to save the building from further deterioration.
“The urgent work completed in July is an important first phase in saving this significant part of Kingswood’s history.”