ABSTRACT
At this point it is convenient to break the chronological sequence of events that has been followed so far, in order to deal with the subject of churches in a single chapter.1
This chapter deals primarily with churches owned by the Church of England, which warrant separate treatment for two reasons. Firstly, the Church of England has a vast heritage of historic buildings. In evidence to the Environment Committee in 1986 (see chapter 20), the Church’s representations recorded that the Church of England owned 16,700 churches, of which 8,500 were prereformation and 12,500 were statutorily listed, including 2,675 Grade I. Secondly, the Church has always had its own elaborate legal system and procedures for dealing with the building, alteration and demolition of churches.
