Award offered for outstanding church repair or renovation

Betjeman memorial

Have you carried out an outstanding and sympathetic repair to the fabric of your church or parish building in the last 18 months? If so you might want to consider entering your building for The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings' John Betjeman Award 2012.
 
Entries are invited now for the Society's prestigious John Betjeman Award for outstanding repairs to the fabric of buildings in use as places of worship in England and Wales. The award, offered by Britain’s oldest heritage charity, is designed to celebrate excellence and reward the highest level of conservation craftsmanship. Projects completed in the last 18 months are eligible for consideration.

Importantly, the award is always made to a building rather than to an individual or individuals – so this is a chance for faith communities of all denominations to highlight the quality of work completed in their building.

In 2010, for example, The SPAB Betjeman Award was presented to Norfolk 'gem' St Mary the Virgin at Beeston-next-Mileham, near Swaffham, where sensitive and meticulous repairs to the medieval roof impressed the panel of judges drawn from the world of architectural conservation.

The competition honours the memory of Sir John Betjeman, marking his contribution as a SPAB committee member (1954 –1977). The award takes the form of a unique, inscribed and framed print of Inglesham Church in Wiltshire specially created for SPAB by artist and friend of Betjeman, John Piper. Betjeman had a particular fondness for medieval Inglesham Church, saved from destruction in the 19th century by SPAB’s founder William Morris. Piper deliberately chose to illustrate Inglesham for the award because of his friend’s affection for the church and because it encapsulates SPAB’s history.

The competition is open to working places of worship any denomination and is made for a specific repair rather than a general programme of work. Repairs on any scale are eligible but must be to the fabric of the building, or to internal fixed furnishings. Monuments, whether wall-mounted or free-standing, are also eligible as long as they are part of the fabric of the building, along with pulpits, pews and other significant fixed furnishings.

The architectural quality of the building is less important than the quality of the repair. It is not essential that the building is listed.

The intention is to reward outstanding achievement and to present the winning project as an example to others. Accordingly, the judges assess entries following the well-established principles of conservative repair championed by SPAB since 1877. The highest levels of craftsmanship are expected.

Additionally, judges look for:
• A reasoned argument for the need for the repair work, including the philosophical basis for the repairs proposed
• Repair techniques formulated in response to a detailed analysis of the problems
• The appropriateness and honesty of the solution adopted – materials and detailing
• The extent to which loss of original fabric was limited during the work
• The quality of craftsmanship and materials used
• The quality of recording and/or monitoring of the work in progress
• The appropriateness of the repair in relation to the rest of the building


Work that enlarges a faith building or rearranges its internal space to accommodate alternative uses is not eligible.

In Art in Living Form Betjeman wrote: “There are something like twenty thousand CofE places of worship in this country and of those far more than half are ancient buildings, that is to say each represents the gradual growth of a community. They are the history of art displayed in living form, and most country churches have far more to tell those who will look than have the local museums.”

SPAB’s John Betjeman award recognises the continuing importance of all sorts of faith buildings in the developing story of the communities, towns and cities they serve. It also celebrates the legacy of the man who played a key role in highlighting their significance.

For more information see:  

www.spab.org.uk