When a Dangerous Structures Notice threatened to close the 13th-century All Saints Church in Hereford, Herefordshire, RRA Architects stepped in with a bold, conservation-led solution to secure the building’s future. This Grade II* listed medieval church was suffering severe fabric decay, and its small congregation could not afford the immense repair costs. Working closely with English Heritage and the church’s Parochial Church Council, we developed an innovative plan to restore the historic fabric and give All Saints a sustainable new life at the heart of the community.
The design focused on adaptive reuse and sensitive reordering of the church interior. Flexible modern elements were inserted in a way that preserved the Gothic architecture and remained fully reversible. We introduced a welcoming café/restaurant within the south aisle (complete with a new mezzanine floor) to draw in visitors and generate income. This unprecedented idea was the first of its kind in the UK, and it freed up the nave as an open, multi-purpose space for worship or events. By using freestanding structural supports for the mezzanine, none of the original stonework was harmed and all new interventions can be removed in future without trace. The project also improved the building’s energy efficiency to lower running costs, ensuring long-term sustainability.
The results have been remarkable. The café@allsaints, run by Bill’s Kitchen, quickly exceeded its three-year business plan targets in just 18 months, becoming a thriving hub for locals and visitors alike. Day-to-day, the church bustles with café patrons, and in the evenings or at weekends the nave seamlessly transforms for services, concerts, exhibitions and community gatherings. This mix of sacred and secular activity not only provides a steady revenue to fund ongoing repairs but has also re-established All Saints as a vibrant civic space in Hereford’s city centre.
All Saints Church, Hereford is now an award-winning example of how heritage buildings can be revitalised. The project won a RIBA Award and a Civic Trust Award, and is widely cited as a benchmark for church regeneration nationally. Over two decades on, the café remains one of Hereford’s most popular spots, proving the long-term success of this conservation-minded approach. We are proud that All Saints’ innovative transformation continues to inspire other conservation and church reordering projects, and that it stands as a shining example of RRA’s commitment to design quality, community focus and the imaginative reuse of historic buildings.