A new use for a restored church
The Daily Bread was developed as the proposed second phase of work at St Michael’s and All Angels Church in Brampton Abbotts, Herefordshire. (To see the details of the church restoration visit our St Michael’s and All Angels page.)
After the essential repairs and restoration of the church were completed, the next challenge was how to keep the building active, useful and financially sustainable for the long term. The best way to preserve historic buildings is often to keep them in use, but the upkeep costs for churches can be considerable. Finding a sensitive new use that supports the building, the congregation and the wider community can be vital.
RRA Architects had previously used this approach very successfully at All Saints Church, in Hereford, where the inclusion of a café helped support the future of the building. At St Michael’s and All Angels, the proposed intervention was a community bakery and flexible space, while retaining the church’s liturgical use for worship, quiet contemplation and key services throughout the church calendar.
A community bakery in a Norman church
The proposed bakery was designed to support local businesses, provide a new community focus and generate income to help fund the upkeep of the church.
The Grade II* listed building is small, so fitting bakery equipment, demonstration space and community facilities into the available footprint required careful design. RRA modelled the church and proposed intervention to test the layout, maximise the available space and ensure the new use could sit sympathetically within the historic fabric.
The design allowed for regular worship, quiet reflection, community activity and bakery demonstrations to share the same building without one use overwhelming the others. It was a careful balancing act between heritage, practicality and long-term sustainability.
Planning, consultation and community support
RRA worked alongside Brampton Abbotts Church Reordering Group, the local community, the church authorities, the Archdeacon of Hereford and Herefordshire Diocese. The project required careful consultation because it involved both a sensitive listed building and a new community-led use.
Planning approval was achieved in 2020 after a long process of discussion, consultation and refinement. However, the project did not ultimately go ahead. Brampton Abbotts Church Reordering Group worked for several years to explore every practical route to make the bakery possible, including trying to reach a suitable agreement with the PCC over the use of the car park. When no workable agreement could be reached, the volunteer group reluctantly conceded in 2023 that the project could not proceed.
Although The Daily Bread was not ultimately delivered, the project remains a valuable example of RRA’s approach to church reordering in Herefordshire: creative, careful and focused on helping historic buildings find a viable future.
Project highlights
- Church reordering proposal for a Grade II* listed Norman church
- Community bakery within a restored rural church
- Flexible space for worship, quiet contemplation, demonstrations and community use
- Careful modelling to test layout and equipment within a small historic building
- Consultation with the local community and church authorities
- Planning approval achieved in 2020
- Linked to the completed restoration of St Michael’s and All Angels Church
- A sustainable income idea to help support long-term church upkeep