Sources of information about your church
If you're putting together your first Statement of Significance for your church there are plenty of sources you can draw on:
Web:
- Wikipedia entry for your church
- Wikipedia entry for the architects/artists who designed your church or items in it
- Historic England listing information for your church. TIP: use their "map search" option and input the church postcode (the code is in the latest Diocesan Year Book). This search is quick to do and will also show you any separately listed structures in your churchyard (e.g. memorials, sundials, walls).
- The Church of England's ChurchCare Guidance has provided a useful list of research sources
- Historic England's Architectural Red Box. A digital collection of 600,000 architectural photographs, which can be searched by location.
- England's Christian Heritage. A website that provides a guide to all places of interest associated with well-known Christians in English history. Search by county.
- Church Recorders are part of The National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS). This is a voluntary organisation that may be able to find a volunteer to research the contents of your church. Nearly 30 of our churches have participated. They can also design children's trails.
- 20th Century Society - you can look up details of churches built between 1914 and the present date.
- Heritage Gateway. A searchable database that cross-references multiple sources.
Books:
- Pevsner architectural guide "The Buildings of England" (copy of the Cheshire edition in Church House)
- "Old Cheshire Churches" by Raymond Richards (copy in Church House)
- Your own church guidebook, local records or church members
- Local history books
People:
- There are likely to be church members with a good deal of anecdotal or written information
- They hold faculty documents, deeds and other information for your church
Further Guidance:
- Statements of Significance website: a web resource developed by Historic England and the University of York to assist churches understand their church building