This significant church is crumbling inside and out.
Photo: Birch Church by John Whitworth for The Victorian Society.
Grade II-listed, 1850, S.S. Teulon
The interior of this Grade II-listed church, built by SS Teulon in 1850, exudes great atmosphere, but the building has since been abandoned and its condition has deteriorated over time: the wooden floor is rotten, the stonework is crumbling inside and out, and it now faces urgent questions over its survival. Talk of a development deal, whereby the surrounding land is sold for housing and funds urgent repair works, is not popular locally, and many parishioners would rather see the church demolished than lose green space in the village; and whilst there are other options, including redevelopment as a house or community space, there have been no expressions of interest as yet. If the building is to attract the right developer, it first needs to stop getting worse. It is the church commissioner’s responsibility to ensure that their properties are repaired, or at the very least maintained properly.
Status Update / March 2026
The church has remained empty and unused since being featured on our list in 2011 and was weeks away from being demolished in 2023. Campaigners working to save the derelict church have nevertheless managed to secure a grant of over £300,000 for their Birch InSpire project, which looks to transform the Grade II-listed building into a café, shop, and modular community space. The funds were secured partly through private fundraising, but primarily through a grant from the Diocese of Chelmsford, who have generously committed to contributing 10% of the total restoration cost.
Birch Church by John Whitworth