Historic Shropshire church receives grant for urgently-needed upgrades

A £10,000 National Churches Trust Cornerstone Grant will help fund the installation of urgently-needed toilets and a kitchen at St John the Baptist in Great Bolas, near Newport, and keep the Grade II* Listed church at the heart of the community.

Broadcaster and journalist Huw Edwards, who is vice president of the National Churches Trust, said: “I’m delighted that St John the Baptist, Great Bolas, is being helped with a £10,000 National Churches Trust Cornerstone Grant.

“The funding will help fund modern community facilities, safeguard unique local heritage and help keep the church open and in use for the benefit of local people.”

St John the Baptist consists a chancel, nave, and western tower with two bells. It succeeds a medieval building from the 13th century. Apart from possibly two stones in the east window behind the altar, no part of this earlier building remains.

The chancel was built in 1690 by Mr John Tourneour, rector of St Johns for 32 years. The nave was rebuilt by the second Rev John Tourneor, and reopened on St John the Baptist’s Day, June 23 1728.

The west tower is made of red brick with stone dressings, a tiled roof, brick corner pilasters, string courses, pilastered bell openings with moulded round arches with keystones.

The interior of the church has altered little since 1729 and retains a simple and dignified atmosphere. The nave boasts a complete set of 18th century box pews.

A surprising episode in the history of the church was the marriage of John Jones and Sarah Higgins in April 1790. John Jones was in fact Henry Cecil, nephew of the 9TH Earl of Exeter. After his first marriage was annulled by parliament he went on to become Henry, 10th Earl and Sarah the 1st Marquess of Exeter.

The project will involve the installation of a kitchen in the church vestry and toilets in the north extension. This will allow St John the Baptist to expand their offering of community events for Great Bolas, a small village with minimal community space.

A spokesman for the church said: “This grant will allow us to move closer to our goal of providing amenities that the church building desperately needs so that the community can enjoy using this historic building in more comfort and in other diverse ways. We would like to thank the National Churches Trust Grant Committee for this generous grant.”

Some 64 churches and chapels in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will benefit from the latest grants from the National Churches Trust, the charity supporting church buildings of all Christian denominations across the UK. £134,000 of funding for the grants has been provided by the Wolfson Foundation.

This is the first round of grants made by the National Churches Trust in 2021. Last year the Trust has awarded, or recommended on behalf of other funders, 304 grants amounting to £5.6 million.