It’s hard to imagine it…

…with all the hot weather we have been having, how very cold it was last winter in the church. With no boilers working just after Christmas, and only one working efficiently since then, it was not possible to heat the church up to more than around 11°C for several weeks.

The Heating Advisor from Coventry Diocese has visited and assessed the options for our heating. We cannot replace the gas boilers like-for-like as the Diocese - and indeed the country - is committed to reducing our carbon footprint as we work towards Net Zero. In a lengthy and detailed report - 17 pages of close-typed text with very few pictures - the Advisor considered all options such as heat pumps and under floor heating, but the Grade 1 listing and cost of many of these are insurmountable barriers.

One particular comment made by the Heating Advisor has stuck in our minds:

‘It is necessary to find a workable compromise that keeps the building in operation since deterioration due to lack of use is the greatest threat to historic buildings.’

We all want St James to be able to decarbonise the ineffective heating system and make the church more welcoming throughout the year. We want St James to be a space and setting in which to rejoice in each other’s company, to celebrate and to commemorate significant times in the lives of people in the wider community. Our joy is in the idea that we can pass it on in good working order for the benefit of this our community now and for many future generations.

After much discussion, research and consultation, the design we nave arrived at is for a hybrid system using electric infra-red radiant heat from sustainable sources throughout the building. The plan is to have chandelier-style heaters with integrated LED lights throughout the nave and side aisles with suspended bar-style IR heaters in the choir vestry and under-pew heaters in the chancel. This type of heating heats bodies and objects rather than huge volumes of air – infrared photos show that currently the warm air at ground level quickly rises away from the people who need it. The new system will be capable of ‘zoning’ so that only the parts of the church that are in use will need to have heating.

The Mission of the Church includes responsibility to love our neighbours – vulnerable communities in developing countries less able to mitigate the damage wrought by climate change and increasingly violent storms, flooding and droughts that tear apart homes and public buildings and decimate food production. We know a large part of Climate Crisis arises from the excesses of consumerism and waste and the disregard for the harmful impacts of using fossil fuels at such a massive scale. Warming the atmosphere is having catastrophic effects, and we feel that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to mitigate the effects of climate change whilst continuing to use and save our heritage buildings.

If you would like to know more or help with the restoration of St James, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the church office. [email protected] or 01926 812413