What do the rustic St. Mary's Church in Mundon, Essex, with its curious 14th-century half-timbered tower, Sturmer Church, in the same county, built just after the Norman Conquest (1066), with its short square steeple, and the welcoming Ayshford Chapel in Devon, filled with mementos of the Ayshford family who once lived in the adjoining manor, all have in common? All these buildings have been bought and saved from ruin by the Friends of Friendless Churches charity, which cares for churches that literally have no friends.
Rachel Morley, a chemical engineer turned advocate for religious heritage, has been running the organization since 2018. She has developed a deep passion for these buildings, particularly the more modest ones, forgotten on the outskirts of towns or along country lanes. "These churches are full of human experiences. You walk in, and through the details of a sculpture, the craftsmanship of a beam, or the inscriptions on the walls, you can feel a connection to the people who came before you."
Like many in Britain, Morley has been passionately following the rapid and spectacular reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. In the UK, undertaking such work would be an obstacle course. With planning permission and mandatory public consultations, the process can take years, and a single objection can derail the entire project. "It's incredible what the French have managed to do in five years. Five years is how long it takes me just to obtain permission from the Church of England and local authorities to acquire and restore a tiny church," said the head of the Friends of Friendless Churches charity.
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