St Peter’s Church, Congleton

Our Role

BTP acted as Lead Consultant and Conservation Architect, helping the church understand its building’s condition, prioritise repairs and plan for its future. 

Our work began with a Quinquennial Inspection, securing English Heritage funding for roof and structural timber repairs, including replacing deteriorated concrete tiles with Welsh slate. A second HLF-funded phase restored the ornate nave ceiling and reinstated cast-iron windows. Following a successful design competition, we have now developed proposals to adapt the church and community building for worship, arts and events, supporting its long-term future. 

 Throughout, our approach has brought together the care of a significant historic building with the practical needs of its congregation and wider community. 

Design Development

Understanding the church’s construction and architectural history was an important starting point. Its seven-bay interior is expressed externally through two tiers of windows, with round-headed openings above and segmental arches below. At the east end, a Venetian window sits within a pedimented brick projection, flanked by niches. These features give the building a distinctive character that informed our conservation approach. 

Our initial inspection identified heavily deteriorated concrete roof tiles and associated structural timber defects as priority repairs. Replacing the tiles with Welsh Heather Blue slate provided a historically appropriate covering, selected with the surrounding conservation area in mind. The roof works were accompanied by timber repairs, repairs to stonework and brickwork, and replacement rainwater goods. 

The ornate nave ceiling presented a different conservation challenge. The lath-and-plaster ceiling was renewed using matching materials, with around 30 roof and ceiling timbers also replaced. Decorative plasterwork was restored and securely fixed back to the main timbers, retaining the detail that gives the interior much of its character. 

The second phase also included replacement and reinstatement of the distinctive cast-iron windows. Alongside the ceiling works, this addressed significant elements of both the church’s external appearance and its internal architectural setting. 

Our later reordering proposals considered how the church and adjoining community building could accommodate worship, arts, events and community activities. The design focused on creating more flexible spaces while respecting the character and significance of the Grade I listed building.

Outcomes

The completed conservation works have protected St Peter’s from further deterioration and restored important parts of its historic fabric. A renewed slate roof, repaired masonry and rainwater goods, restored decorative plasterwork and reinstated cast-iron windows support the continued care and use of the church. 

The project has also drawn on strong community support. Local people sponsored roof slates, inscribing their undersides with memories and dedications that now form part of the building’s history. 

The reordering proposals provide a direction for the next chapter, helping St Peter’s plan for a broader range of activities while continuing its role as a place of worship and a much-loved part of Congleton.