Places of Worship. Wales
Heritage focussed repairs, reordering and extensions to a series of culturally significant places of worship of various denominations throughout Wales.
The built landscape across Wales reflects all the world’s major religions in differing forms, including a rich presence of ecclesiastical structures.
Hiraeth Architecture are heavily involved in the preservation of these community buildings, both listed and unlisted, and their ongoing evolution through the sensitive management of change. Our works range from Condition Reports, often undertaken in our role as retained Quinquennial Inspectors for the Church in Wales, to the proactive implementation of fabric repairs. In addition to this, in order to support congregations in achieving their visions for worship in their communities, we facilitate the thoughtful reconfiguration these buildings to successfully meet evolving requirements.
One important aspect of our work is undertaking regular Quinquennial Inspections of Church buildings within the Llandaff and Monmouthshire Dioceses. These reports look to provide a record of the current condition of the building and identify any works which may be necessary for conservation or enhancement within the next 5 years. In addition, Hiraeth supports churches to facilitate the necessary repair work by producing drawn details, specifications and submitting faculty applications.
Hiraeth Architecture have built ongoing relationships with a number of secular and non-secular communities across Wales, evolved around places of worship and embracing a variety of faiths and denominations. We place value on working with groups over extended periods of time to plan and phase works to sustainably meet the needs of both current and future societal needs. We understand the challenges facing those who have responsibility for maintaining and developing these places of worship, often with limited budgets and support. However, within these parameters we have also been privileged to work with a number of aspirational and creative groups to develop flexible, community centric solutions that are based on specific needs.
Our proposals have helped to maintain and reinvigorate many of these valued community assets, developing and realising our clients’ visions to deliver vibrant and sustainable futures whilst retaining the significance of the past endeavours. New futures have included adapting and extending buildings for community use, to restoring significant historic details and monuments to ensure our cultural heritage reflects the aspirations of society.
Our process driven approach enables us to adapt to various challenges – The repair of historic fabric is undertaken with great care, respect and understanding of evidential, historic, aesthetic and communal values, whilst additions to the buildings often offer the opportunity to provide a new layer of history in a manner that reflects current needs. This work is underpinned by contextual studies and community engagement, noting our particular understanding of the development of church architecture and liturgy throughout the ages, allied with a procedural understanding of varying legislative frameworks that govern consents in this sector.
We are currently appointed as architects and Quinquennial Inspectors for a number of ecclesiastical buildings across Wales, including redundant Chapels and growing Churches, whilst Michael Plageman also sits as an architectural and conservation advisor for the Monmouth DAC.
Case Study 01 – St Mary’s Church, Wenvoe
St Mary’s Church, Wenvoe, is a Grade II* listed building dating back to the 13th century. Several defects were noted to the Church during our Quinquennial Inspection, resulting in water ingress causing damage to the historic fabric internally, and perhaps more pressingly, leading to falling masonry and mortar from the Tower. This was the result of both the historic use of cementitious mortars and the varying quality of inherited stone repairs. With the deterioration of the fabric presenting a clear and present health and safety concern, Hiraeth worked with the Church to produce drawings, specifications, and a schedule of works for the repointing of the Tower and South Porch in an appropriate lime mortar mix. Undertaken initially as emergency works, we both tendered and administered the works on site. Now complete, the Church has been safeguarded for future generations to use and enjoy.
Case Study 02 – St Mary’s Church, Panteg
The Parish of St Mary’s, Panteg approached Hiraeth Architecture with a view to enhancing the community facilities on offer from their Grade II listed Church. This was with a view to enabling a variety of community functions to take place within the building. Following an analysis of the existing building, its condition and the relative significance of its fabric, the Choir Vestry was identified as a room suitable for sub-division in order to provide dedicated kitchenette facilities, whilst retaining sufficient space for the Choir Vestry to alos be accommodated. Hiraeth guided the Church through the faculty and construction processes, with the new kitchenette designed to be discretely incorporated into the building – neatly screened away when not in use, yet able to provide basic kitchen facilities when called upon. It includes food preparation, tea and coffee making facilities, and ample storage to supporting a variety of gatherings that occur within the Church. This therefore enables the parish to now provide hospitality on site, and saving costs on events that have traditionally been carried out elsewhere.
Case Study 03 – St Illtud’s Church, Llantwit Fardre
As one of our earliest Clients, Hiraeth Architecture have established an ongoing relationship with St Illtud’s Church, Llantwit Fardre that has seen the enhancement and transformation of this Grade II listed building across several phases. Starting with repair works in 2019 that saw the Tower re-rendered, the interior of the building has subsequently been refurbished and redecorated, whilst the roof of the Lady Chapel has been renewed with its windows replaced. In between, small grants have been obtained by the Church to enable them to address rainwater goods and landscaping of the churchyard. The collective impact of these projects has enhanced the fabric of the Church, reintroducing lost features and importantly enabling them to provide a warm welcome to their growing congregation.
Hiraeth Architecture have provided professional services and expert advice to over 50 Churches and communities across Wales since 2019, ranging from the design and installation of a replacement preaching cross, to the re-envisioning of a disused, iconic, independent chapel for a rural community. This allows our cultural heritage to be sensitively sustained and given new purpose going forwards.
