THE Diocese of Carlisle has said that ‘great value’ is placed on the ‘spiritual, architectural and historical importance’ of churches in Cumbria after a number were named as ‘at risk’ by Historic England.

St Michael's, Workington, the church of St Mary, Churchtown, Sebergham, St Bridget's Parton, St Mary's, Gilcrux, St Mungo's Dearham, and St Peter's, Castle Currock are all listed as being in poor condition.

Places of worship considered for inclusion on the register must be listed grade I, II* or II and be used as a public place of worship at least six times a year.

Places of worship are assessed on the basis of condition only. If the place of worship is in 'very bad' or 'poor' condition it is added to the Register.

Once on the Register, places of worship can move through the condition categories (e.g. from very bad to poor, to fair, even good) as repairs are implemented and the condition improves, until they are fully repaired and can be removed from the register.

The condition of historic church buildings is one of the major problems going forward for the church as congregations continue to dwindle and parishes raise less money to keep their churches in prime condition.

Although buildings can be listed as being in poor condition, the vast majority of the structure can be sound and only one issue can force the listing.

St Mary’s Gilcrux is listed as being in ‘poor condition’ but Historic England has said that it is ‘generally in good condition’ - but cement-rich pointing is trapping water within the wall fabric, and is endangering the roof timbers.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Carlisle said: “Great value is placed on the spiritual, architectural and historical importance of our churches.

“Across Cumbria we are blessed to have many places of worship which date back hundreds of years – some to Norman times – with these buildings continuing to act as beacons of Christian witness in our communities.

“By the same token we also recognise that such buildings can be costly to maintain – both financially and in terms of the number of hours that are dedicated towards their upkeep.

"We understand the challenges that this represents for those Parochial Church Councils charged with caring for these buildings.

“To that end the Diocese continues to work closely with PCCs and local congregations, signposting them to resources and available grants which can help to support their church fabric whilst also ensuring they have the support of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (which oversees planning matters).

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Likewise, through a close working relationship with the Churches Trust for Cumbria, the Diocese looks to provide further help, support and practical advice for those looking after our historic churches.

“We also give thanks that in recent years hundreds of thousands of pounds have been secured for repairs to our historic churches through various grant-awarding bodies including the Listed Place of Worship Scheme (LPWS).

“Furthermore, the Diocese and CTfC are actively working alongside the National Churches Trust through its Cherish Project which offers funding for repairs and maintenance and there has been a further cash injection for church repairs through the Church Buildings Council.”