Birch, Essex
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.
Birch Church by John Whitworth
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.
Following the submission of an extensive Business Plan Chelmsford Diocese have voted to support the next stage of the plan to save key parts of Birch Church! Critically, Chelmsford Diocese have also agreed to contribute about 10% of the project’s estimated cost, the full cost will be just over £3,000,000. This is vital because the National Lottery Heritage Fund will require the campaign to match fund a minimum of 10% of the total grant amount. The diocesan contribution is on condition that NLHF funding is secured.
Additionally, Chelmsford Diocese will be working with Church Commissioners to look at ecclesiastical law changes to the pastoral scheme associated with church demolition.
Church of St Peter and St Paul, Birch, Colchester. Image courtesy of Birch InSpire Photo: Dan Sceats