Latest news with #historic church
The National
13 hours ago
- General
- The National
Best Photos of August 18: From the Abu Dhabi powerboat team to the World Humanoid Robot Games
Kiruna's historic wooden church sits on wheels before being moved to its new site next to the cemetery, in Kiruna, Sweden. Reuters
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Troon locals want to buy historic church to keep 'sanctuary' alive
An Ayrshire community is facing a race against time to stop a historic church in their area falling into in Troon want to purchase Troon Old Parish Church from the Church of Scotland - but the B-listed building has a £200,000 price tag attached to community group were only granted exclusive rights to buy it from May until September, and members have told BBC Scotland News they are concerned that a building that has hosted baptisms, weddings and celebrations for more than 100 years will become an purchase plan comes as the Church has been accused of not offering enough support to local communities wanting to take over properties it is selling. Maureen Leonard and Rachel Tribble are both members of the Troon Development Trust, a local group dedicated to boosting the seaside meet the BBC on a warm, sunny day, with the beachfront filled with families enjoying the last of the school summer church is only yards from the hubbub of noise, located in the heart of the town - and Rachel believes it has been equally central to people's lives."When we had an event about a month ago, more than one person said they were baptised there, they were married there and that this was their church," she said. "It's part of the thread that weaves through people's lives. If it started to deteriorate or be boarded up that would be sad to see." Both Maureen and Rachel feel creating a community space would not only keep the building in use, but also keep alive memories for many of the town's residents. "I think a lot of people are worried we're going to tear up the sanctuary, " says Rachel. "We want to keep it almost as is – the architecture, the stained glass windows and the history." The development trust has ambitious plans for the site, from hosting martial arts classes to art workshops. An evening café and local heritage centre are also the financial costs are 2019 the Church of Scotland's three parishes in Troon announced plans to merge into one, a move that would see one of their properties no longer Old Parish, which dates back to 1894, was selected for closure, and the development trust expressed interest in taking it granted exclusive rights to secure a transfer of the building, the trust were only given about four months to stump up £200,000, with a deadline of 30 September.A number of churches across the country are facing closure as the Church of Scotland looks to reduce its property portfolio. Maureen believes if the property reaches the open market it is unlikely developers would move on it, given costs associated with repairs and re-development - costs the community trust could cover via various heritage funding and charitable grants. "What you're talking about is a building in the centre of the town, that could go to rack and ruin," she says."What we don't want is a repeat of the Station Hotel in Ayr, which could very well happen." "We're in an almost catch 22 situation," Rachel says."If we had the lease there would be so much more we can do with getting funding to repair the building. But we cannot find a funder to buy the building itself, and £200,000 cannot be funded simply through donations and events."Rachel moved to Troon with her husband just under 15 years ago. Initially they used it as a commuter town, but the rise of home working led her to become more involved in the local area, and from there, involvement in the struggle to keep the church within community hands. "If this was last year, we would have applied to the Scottish Land Fund for up to 80% of the purchase price," she says."However because there are Scottish elections next year the deadline is earlier than usual for the coming year. By the time we learned we had exclusivity, we had passed the date for entering it." Both Maureen and Rachel say dealings with the church have been amicable, and hope an extension for their funding bid will be all communities have been as content.A community trust in Arisaig in the Highlands failed to buy a church with an asking price of £135,000, after being denied extra time to raise money. It then went to the highest Braemar Kirk in Aberdeenshire was bought by the owners of a boutique hotel, despite the local kirk session favouring another bid that would have retained the building for Chalmers, a development manager at Community Land Scotland, said the group understands the church's need to maximise she added: "These buildings are significant community assets, maintained for many generations by these communities."We are concerned that the Church of Scotland is looking at short-term financial returns and not considering the damage it may do to its own legacy or the impact upon the culture and heritage of the many communities around Scotland who have a close relationship to their kirks and other church buildings." 'Significant strain' on congregations A spokesperson for the Church of Scotland said it had a "strong track record of engaging with community groups" but the general trustees were under a legal obligation to secure the best added that the congregation had to bear the costs of maintaining a building while it was not in use."Delays to the sales process place a significant financial and human resource strain on local congregations until they are sold, therefore sometimes it is not possible to extend periods of exclusivity," the spokesperson added that the general trustees of the kirk were having positive discussions with the development trust and that "we hope that the trust is successful in meeting its fundraising target in the near future and a positive outcome for both parties is secured."
The Australian
3 days ago
- The Australian
Historic Swedish church being moved as giant mine casts growing shadow
A historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings is to be moved from its longtime home in the Arctic town of Kiruna next week as part of a campaign to expand Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna Kyrka, a Swedish Lutheran church, dates from 1912. The 672 tonne, 40 metre (131 feet) high building will be moved five kilometres (three miles) on a lorry to the new Kiruna town on Tuesday and Wednesday. The complex and costly logistical operation has generated widespread interest, with more than 10,000 people expected to line the streets of the town of 18,000. King Carl XVI Gustaf will be among those in town following the move. Swedish television will broadcast the entire journey live -- a new iteration of the "Slow TV" trend -- with 30 cameras set up along the route, it said. Kiruna's entire town centre is being moved because of the giant mine that dominates the region. As the LKAB iron ore mine's operations have progressed ever deeper over the years, the stability of the ground under Kiruna has weakened, increasing the risk of collapse in some parts. - Unique event - The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town centre was officially inaugurated in September 2022. The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor ($52 million) and is being paid for by LKAB. Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the imposing structure is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's indigenous Sami people on the pews. The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece painted by Sweden's Prince Eugen (1865-1947), a pastel landscape inspired by his trips to Toscana and western Sweden. The church is one of 23 cultural buildings relocated in the Kiruna move. LKAB has called next week's relocation "a unique event in world history". The structure has been "thoroughly examined ahead of the move to protect its cultural assets in the best possible way, to ensure that the altarpiece and organ in particular are moved with care," the company said. The roads on the route have been widened, a process that took a year according to LKAB, and the ground around the church's current location has been dug out. "The church is sitting on a beam system, then two rows of trailers were brought in," LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson told AFP. The move is expected to take on the air of a street party, with LKAB treating crowds to snacks, refreshments and live entertainment. nzg/po/tw
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Historic Swedish church being moved as giant mine casts growing shadow
A historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings is to be moved from its longtime home in the Arctic town of Kiruna next week as part of a campaign to expand Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna Kyrka, a Swedish Lutheran church, dates from 1912. The 672 tonne, 40 metre (131 feet) high building will be moved five kilometres (three miles) on a lorry to the new Kiruna town on Tuesday and Wednesday. The complex and costly logistical operation has generated widespread interest, with more than 10,000 people expected to line the streets of the town of 18,000. King Carl XVI Gustaf will be among those in town following the move. Swedish television will broadcast the entire journey live -- a new iteration of the "Slow TV" trend -- with 30 cameras set up along the route, it said. Kiruna's entire town centre is being moved because of the giant mine that dominates the region. As the LKAB iron ore mine's operations have progressed ever deeper over the years, the stability of the ground under Kiruna has weakened, increasing the risk of collapse in some parts. - Unique event - The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town centre was officially inaugurated in September 2022. The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor ($52 million) and is being paid for by LKAB. Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the imposing structure is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's indigenous Sami people on the pews. The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece painted by Sweden's Prince Eugen (1865-1947), a pastel landscape inspired by his trips to Toscana and western Sweden. The church is one of 23 cultural buildings relocated in the Kiruna move. LKAB has called next week's relocation "a unique event in world history". The structure has been "thoroughly examined ahead of the move to protect its cultural assets in the best possible way, to ensure that the altarpiece and organ in particular are moved with care," the company said. The roads on the route have been widened, a process that took a year according to LKAB, and the ground around the church's current location has been dug out. "The church is sitting on a beam system, then two rows of trailers were brought in," LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson told AFP. The move is expected to take on the air of a street party, with LKAB treating crowds to snacks, refreshments and live entertainment. nzg/po/tw
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Locals 'thrilled' by £66k lottery grant for Cornwall church spire
Campaigners fighting to save a historic Cornwall church spire are celebrating after winning a £66,000 90ft (27m) spire at St Gerrans Church on the Roseland Peninsula is in a bad state and there have been concerns it could collapse.A fundraising campaign was started to save the landmark, which was added to the existing church tower in the 15th or early 16th Century to provide sailors and fishermen with a daymark. It is visible for miles and is still featured on admiralty charts as a navigation award of £66,427 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund means building work can begin in autumn. Chair of the fundraising committee, James Leggate, said everyone was "thrilled". St Gerrans Church is a focal point and connection between the two villages of Gerrans and Portscatho, but the state of the spire has caused concern for stone exterior is so badly eroded water has to be collected in buckets whenever it rains, and there are concerns about the wooden framework that holds up the whole edifice. Once the state of the building became clear, a Save Our Spire fundraising campaign was started. After a packed public meeting to discuss ideas, the money started rolling in, but Mr Leggate said they still needed the grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to reach their target."We were never sure of getting the lottery funding but I have to say they've turned up trumps so we feel that we can celebrate now," he said."Everyone is thrilled, to me personally it's an iconic spire, I'm a sailor, we've all used the spire for sailing navigation points of view."It's also personal to me because I've worshipped here for more than 30 years."He added: "Everyone in the village, whether they have a faith, or no faith, or a particular faith that isn't the Church of England, it doesn't matter to them, we're all keen to get this repaired and preserved for the next generation and beyond."The plan is to use local firms for the job, and work to begin erecting scaffolding could start as early as September, with the restoration and repair work commencing in mid-October.
