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29-642: The Lumley Chapel is a redundant Anglican church in the suburban village of Cheam , in the London Borough of Sutton , England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building , and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust . The chapel is located in the churchyard of St Dunstan's Church in Church Road, off Malden Road,

58-448: A bishop) is divided into parishes. Normally, a parish consists of all Catholics living within its geographically defined area. Within a diocese, there can also be overlapping parishes for Catholics belonging to a particular rite, language, nationality, or community. Each parish has its own central church called the parish church, where religious services take place. The parish church is the center of most Catholics' spiritual life since it

87-459: A geographically extensive rural parish) or mission church . Often the parish church will be the only one to have a full-time minister , who will also serve any smaller churches within the parish. (For example, St. Peter's Church in St. George's Parish, Bermuda, is located on St. George's Island ; hence, a chapel-of-ease, named simply Chapel-of-Ease , was erected on neighbouring St. David's Island so that

116-490: A new church, also dedicated to St Dunstan, was built to the north. The older church was demolished, other than the east end of the chancel which was retained to contain the monuments and brasses from the old church. This remnant of the former church was declared redundant on 16 June 2002, and was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 1 August 2002. The chapel is the oldest standing building in

145-514: A significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The church building reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages , but all periods of architecture are represented. Each diocese (administrative unit, headed by

174-460: Is consecrated . If there is no parish church, the bishop licenses another building for worship, and may designate it as a parish centre of worship . This building is not consecrated, but is dedicated, and for most legal purposes it is deemed to be a parish church. In areas of increasing secularisation or shifts in religious belief, centres of worship are becoming more common, and many larger churches have been sold due to their upkeep costs. Instead

203-550: Is believed to be the daughter of Hugh de Courtney, 4th Earl of Devon and his wife, Anne Talbot. Anne Courtenay's Arms on the brass shield clearly display her Courtenay connection to the Earls of Devon. Most of the brasses are now only fragments embedded into the floor but the shields and a small brass to John Yerde still exist, as does a brass rubbing dating from 1837 when the brass was still in its original form. The currently active parish church of St Dunstan, designed by F. H. Pownall ,

232-491: Is concerned, there is also a system of civil parishes , which represent the smallest tier of administrative units. However since the 19th century these have not shared the same boundaries, or often the same names. (In other territories arrangements may differ, e.g. in Bermuda civil and church parishes still share the same boundaries, see Anglican Church of Bermuda ). Most ecclesiastical parishes have an Anglican parish church , which

261-443: Is made of about half of the closed churches. 1795 were closed between 1969 and 2010, or about 11% of existing churches, with about 1/3 listed as Grade I or II. (Of these, only 514 were built later than 1989.) Only 20% were demolished, of which 75% were unlisted. The aim of the closure process is to find new uses for the structures, for which the diocese is responsible. Some closed churches remain consecrated for occasional use by

290-440: Is situated to the north of the chapel, and is also designated as a Grade II* listed building. The lychgate , dated 1891, at the entrance to the churchyard, is listed Grade II. In the churchyard are three tombs, each of which is Grade II listed. Redundant church Reasons for redundancy include population movements, changing social patterns, merging of parishes, and decline in church attendance (especially in

319-399: Is the one, where members of the parish must go to, for baptisms and weddings , unless they are permitted by the parish priest (US ' pastor ') for celebrating those sacraments elsewhere. One sign of that is the parish church being the only one to have a baptismal font . Some larger parishes or parishes that have been combined under one parish priest, may have two or more such churches, or

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348-547: Is there that they receive the sacraments . On Sundays and perhaps also daily, Mass is celebrated by a priest resident in the parish. Confession is made available and perhaps Vespers in the larger or more progressive parishes. There are also laity-led activities and social events in accordance with local culture and circumstances. Roman Catholics are not obliged to worship only at the parish church to which they belong, but they may for convenience or taste, attend services at any Roman Catholic church. However, their parish church

377-588: The Global North ). Historically, redundant churches were often demolished or left to ruin . Today, many are repurposed as community centres, museums or homes, and are demolished only if no alternative can be found. Although church buildings fall into disuse around the world, the term "redundancy" was particularly used by the Church of England , which had a Redundant Churches Division. As of 2008, it instead refers to such churches as "closed for regular public worship", and

406-430: The 1590s Lumley converted the church into a memorial chapel for himself and his two wives. In the early 18th century the church consisted of a chancel with a south chapel, a nave with a south aisle, and a west tower. Later in the century, possibly in 1746, the south aisle and the south wall of the nave were demolished and replaced by a wider nave. At the same time a north aisle and a south porch were added. In 1864

435-518: The A2043. The Archbishop of Canterbury acquired the manor of Cheam in 1018, and it is thought that the church was founded soon after this date. It was dedicated to Saint Dunstan , an earlier Archbishop of Canterbury. A south aisle was added to the church in the 12th century. In 1580 John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley inherited the nearby Nonsuch Palace through his marriage to Jane Fitzalan , daughter of Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel . During

464-929: The Church of England. Some are purchased by other denominations or faiths for regular use. Several charitable trusts preserve churches of architectural merit, such as the Churches Conservation Trust in England, and the Friends of Friendless Churches in Wales (which also maintains a number of churches in England). Historic Churches Scotland cares for several former Church of Scotland church buildings. Depending on their listed status, many closed churches can be converted to other uses. Several are used as community and education centres—for example, All Saints' Church, Bristol and All Saints Church, Harthill . In Chester , Holy Trinity Church now serves as

493-522: The London Borough of Sutton. It is constructed in partly roughcast rubble stone and brick. It has a tiled roof. The east window dates from the 15th century and has three lights. In the south wall is the blocked arcade that formerly led into the south chapel. In the north wall are fragments of a blocked window from the Saxon or the early Norman era. Inside the church the walls are plastered . Along

522-589: The Redundant Churches Division became the Closed Churches Division. Church buildings in England may be declared redundant for a number of reasons, but it is primarily due to a reduction in the number of regular Sunday worshippers, which has steadily fallen since the late 1980s, to about 1.7m in 2008, and 1.11m in 2019 (before the covid pandemic in the UK distorted figures). Other reasons include

551-588: The United Methodists owned just over 6,000, and disposed of about 100 each year. Particularly significant chapels may be taken into the care of the Historic Chapels Trust . Parish church A parish church (or parochial church ) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish . In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play

580-458: The amalgamation of parishes ; or a preference for another building where two churches are in close proximity, for example at Swaffham Prior , Cambridgeshire. Population shift is another factor. For example, many redundant churches were formerly maintained in deserted or shrunken medieval villages (such as Wharram Percy in Yorkshire ). Others are located in town centres that have seen a decline in

609-592: The chapel of Nonsuch Palace. John Lumley died in 1609; his tomb is also decorated with heraldry . Elizabeth Darcy died in 1617. Her recumbent effigy lies on the tomb. Detailed preparatory coloured drawings of the three monuments, made in about 1590, appear in Lumley's Red Velvet Book . Other memorials include those to the Pybus family of Cheam House, and the Antrobus family of Lower Cheam House. A mural monument exists in memory of

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638-463: The church may use community centres or the facilities of a local church of another denomination. While villages and small towns may have a single parish church, larger towns may have a parish church and other smaller churches in various districts. These other churches do not have the legal or religious status of a parish church, and may be described by a variety of terms, such as chapel of ease (this term more often refers to an additional church in

667-405: The grade-I-listed St Ninian's, Brougham , a Churches Conservation Trust church—the building's remote location makes alternative use impractical. The popularity of Methodism and other non-conformist churches in the 19th century has left many chapel buildings which cannot be sustained. At their height, various Methodist factions ran about 14,000 chapels in the UK. With declining attendance, in 2002

696-481: The island's residents need not cross St. George's Harbour .) In cities without an Anglican cathedral , the parish church may have administrative functions similar to that of a cathedral. However, the diocese will still have a cathedral. The Church of Scotland , the established Presbyterian church also uses a system of parish churches, covering the whole of Scotland . In Massachusetts , towns elected publicly funded parish churches from 1780 until 1834, under

725-465: The merchant, lawyer and philosopher James Boevey (1622–1696) and his third wife Margaretta (1638–1714). On the south wall is a tablet to Ann, the five-year-old daughter of Rev William Gilpin , headmaster of Cheam School. The brasses are dated between 1450 and 1632. Amongst the brasses are those to the Yerde and Fromond family who held the manor of East Cheam. John Yerde, esq., married Dame Anne Courtenay who

754-458: The parish may be responsible for chapels (or chapels of ease) located at some distance from the mother church for the convenience of distant parishioners. In England and many British Overseas Territories as well as former British territories, the Church of England parish church is the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches. Parishes cover almost the whole area of England. In addition to ecclesiastic parishes , with which this article

783-404: The resident population. The square mile City of London has only a few thousand permanent residents—far smaller than its historic population, as most workers now commute from outside its boundaries—leaving many redundant churches there. About 20 to 25 Church of England churches are declared closed for regular public worship each year. They are demolished only as a last resort. Some active use

812-454: The top of the north and south walls is a frieze decorated with fruit and foliage. Over this is a cornice , rising from which is a plastered barrel vault decorated with ribs and pendants. Inside the chapel are alabaster and marble monuments to John Lumley and his two wives, Lady Jane Fitzalan and Elizabeth Darcy. Lady Jane died in 1578; her tomb is decorated with family coats of arms and depictions of Jane's three children at prayer in

841-601: The town's Guildhall , and St Michael's Church as a heritage centre . St Peter's Church, Offord D'Arcy , managed by the Churches Conservation Trust, is used to host festivals, including a film festival. Others buildings are used in more unusual ways. Old St Ann's Church, Warrington is an indoor climbing centre (one of several churches used in this way). Others are art galleries, coffee shops, and even pubs and clubs (e.g. High Pavement Chapel in Nottingham). Many are converted into residential properties. In some cases—such as

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