Landmark Wirral church secures funding for restoration

Ss Peter, Paul and Philomena's Church, New Brighton Credit: Ss Peter, Paul and St Philomena's Church

A landmark church in New Brighton, Merseyside has secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a restoration project to two marble side chapels.

Ss Peter, Paul and St Philomena’s Church, is well known on the Merseyside skyline for it's large dome structure. The aim of this project is to halt water dripping through the barrel roofs, brickwork and windows around the side chapels and restoring damaged structural concrete and plasterwork.

Development funding of £27,100 has been awarded to help The Institute of Christ the King - the religious order who look after the church, prepare plans to apply for a full HLF grant of up to £222,900, at a later date.

Lecture events and visits will be organised to engage local architecture and conservation students at local universities.

The church is an unusual, landmark basilica at Wirral’s tip, which overlooks the Liverpool Bay, and was completed in 1935 as one of the first concrete churches in Britain. After years of little maintenance, the Bishop of Shrewsbury invited The Institute to take over the care of the church in 2012. They began an ambitious restoration programme supported by HLF and other funders, bringing it back to life for the whole Diocese and the wider local community.