12th June 2017
Words and photographs Peter Mann
When the Friends of Friendless Churches (FoFC) e-mailed on 4th December 2013 to say it ‘…would be willing to take the freehold of the Grade II* listed church of St Denis, East Hatley and safeguard it in perpetuity’, little did we expect it to take until November 2016 before South Cambridgeshire District Council was able to hand it over – SCDC had owned the building since 1985, it having last been used for worship in 1959.
FoFC’s e-mail (click the graphic) to David Bevan, SCDC Conservation Officer who ‘introduced’ FoFC to the Council, continued: ‘However this is necessarily a complicated process and there are a number of matters that fall to be dealt with before the conveyance can be effected.’
And of these ‘matters’, funding was the key issue, for although SCDC agreed a dowry for St Denis’ of £60,000 (see the appropriate SCDC meeting report of 20th March 2014), it fell slightly short of what FoFC was expecting.
However, local pledges amounting to £4,800, including £500 from Hatley Parish Council and a similar sum from Gamlingay and Hatley Parochial Church Council, gave FoFC the confidence to proceed with its desire to take on St Denis’.
We are very fortunate St Denis’ has been given over to FoFC, for it is the only organisation whose particular remit is to safeguard redundant churches – buildings which have been a constant in village communities, often for over 1,000 years.
In the beginning
Between 2002 and 2006 SCDC spent a considerable sum on saving the building – by 2002 it was enclosed in ivy and in a terrible state of repair, as recorded in our article Just how was St Denis’ saved?. Having done all that good work, then what? To SCDC, the building was a liability not an asset and was therefore keen to offload it.
Because of its location and lack of water, electricity and vehicle access, auctioning it was unlikely to produce a satisfactory outcome, so David Bevan approached charities known to take on churches.
None were interested except for the FoFC, whose main interest was to acquire an example of William Butterfield’s work; it’s debatable if Butterfield (1814-1900), the notable Victorian church architect, hadn’t restored St Denis’ in 1874 whether the FoFC would have been quite so keen. Thank goodness they were!
The trustees of the FoFC visited St Denis’ on 26th November 2013 – as recorded in our photo (click on it for an enlargement). Those there were:
Rev’d Steven Rothwell (Gamlingay PCC), David Bevan (SCDC Conservation Officer), Richard Smith (FoFC), Roger Evans (Chairman FoFC), Howard Pool (FoFC), Peter Scott (FoFC Treasurer), Richard Halsey MBE (FoFC), Joyce Denby (local resident), Stephanie Norris (Project Architect, Purcell UK) SCDC Councillor Nick Wright, Matthew Saunders MBE (FoFC), County Councillor Sebastian Kindersley and Sir Paul Britton (FoFC).
The FoFC’s 2016 plans
Having acquired St Denis’ (only the building, not the graveyard, which remains consecrated) the Friends immediately announced its planned restoration work – initially this was be be any external repairs, reglazing (using salvaged stained glass) and providing a new floor to permit some chaperoned use of the interior.
The latter would include full retention of the medieval roof timbers which William Butterfield reused as ‘sleepers’ under the floor when he restored the church in 1874 – with glass panels to allow some of them to be seen.
Later, when funds permit, the FoFC will restore the interior to essentially as it was when Butterfield’s work was completed.
That’s for the future, of course.
The official handover by SCDC
At 6.28 pm on a rather wet 11th July 2017, a symbolic key to the church was handed over by SCDC to the FoFC during a delightful ceremony organised by Hatley Parish Council to commemorate the occasion.
Naturally, speeches were given – Margot Eagle (Chairman of Hatley Parish Council at the time) gave the opening introduction, Sebastian Kindersley (then our District Councillor) thanked the many people who had made the handover to FoFC possible; Roger Evans, Chairman, Friends of Friendless Churches also thanked everyone – click here for our photo gallery of the occasion.
Since then, the FoFC has completed stage one of its restoration project – the new floor (with liftable hatches rather than glass to expose the medieval timbers underneath) and windows in the nave.
Still to come are stabilising the crumbly walls in the nave, new windows in the chancel, including a new stained glass window in the east wall, and restoring the tiling in the chancel to Butterfield’s 1874 design. [June 2022: St Denis’ re-skinned – new plaster gives new life to 800 year old church – brings the story up to date.]
Further information
In addition to the first link (to our main St Denis’ church page), we’ve included links to older articles detailing how the building went from a ruin its then owners (South Cambs District Council) wanted to demolish to its very bright future.
- St Denis’ East Hatley – 800 years old: redundant but not abandoned.
- It’s to be saved – the 2005 commitment by South Cambridgeshire District Council to restore not demolish St Denis’ church.
- The next chapter – a reminder of how the process of restoring St Denis’ church began.
- Just how was St Denis’ saved? – by local determination… and being listed.
- St Denis’ re-skinned – new plaster gives new life to 800 year old church.
- Photo gallery – celebrating handing over St Denis’ church keys to the Friends of Friendless Churches by South Cambridgeshire District Council in July 2017… and other events.
- St Denis’ in the news – press cuttings from our open days and evenings.
- Heritage Open Days festival 2019 – how it was for St Denis’ church.
- A little less of St Denis following the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019.
- Who was St Denis? – more than just a 3rd-century Christian martyr.
- The Say rectors of East Hatley – They gave over 112 years of service to the parish.
- General leaflet – the church of St Denis, East Hatley / A5, 4 pp, January 2025.
- Visitor guide leaflet – 39 things about St Denis’ / A5, 6 pp, January 2025.
- Cave spiders under St Denis’ – A5, PDF of an article for the Friends of Friendless Churches’ magazine, June 2024.
- A new east window for St Denis’ – A4, PDF flyer.
- 360° view – by Alex Brad, 360 Deaneries, 3rd July 2022. NB It opens to a Facebook page.
- Video – by Churches of the Past / June 2022. It captures the ambiance and atmosphere of St Denis’ – and the wildlife around the church.
- St Denis’ churchyard – a ‘living’ churchyard and nature reserve.
- Nature in the churchyard – the nature reserve at St Denis’ church.
Friends of Friendless Churches – the owners of St Denis’
“We are,” they say, “a very small charity which saves redundant historic churches.
“We now own nearly 60 former places of worship, half in England, half in Wales, which we preserve as peaceful spaces for visitors and the local community to enjoy. Most are medieval, and all of them are listed.”
To become a ‘Friend’, the annual individual membership is £30.00 and ‘Household’ £50.00; life membership is £1,000. Membership includes two, very informative 60+ page magazines each year about the FoFC’s activities in England and Wales – and much else.
- Friends of Friendless Churches website.
- Join the FoFC – the best way to support its work.
- Follow the FoFC on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Other Friends of Friendless churches
Of the 50+ Friends of Friendless Churches buildings in its care, these are the most local to Hatley – all worth visiting, of course:
- St Mary Magdalene, Caldecote, Hertfordshire.
- St John the Baptist, Papworth St Agnes, Cambridgeshire.
- St Giles’, Tadlow, Cambridgedshire.
- St Andrew, Wood Walton, Cambridgeshire.
- Explore churches – a website created by the National Churches Trust listing hundreds (if not thousands) of churches throughout the UK, including, of course, St Denis’ in East Hatley and all the other churches belonging to the Friends of Friendless Churches.
Visiting St Denis’ church, East Hatley
St Denis’ is open every day from around 8.30 am to dusk for anyone to look round, for quiet contemplation and for events – the space is ideal for an exhibition: if you would like to use the space, please contact keyholder Peter Mann: peter@buzzassociates.co.uk.
The address is
St Denis’ church
East Hatley
Cambridgeshire
SG19 3JA
Grid reference
TL 28522 50513
Easting 528522
Northing 250513
Latitude 52.137977
Longitude -0.123484
Grid reference link
Plus code 4VQG+5H Sandy
What three words slightly.beanbag.pins
Website St Denis’ church
There’s also…
- General leaflet – the church of St Denis, East Hatley / A5, 4 pp, January 2025.
- Visitor guide leaflet – 39 things about St Denis’ / A5, 6 pp, January 2025.
- Cave spiders under St Denis’ – A5, PDF of an article for the Friends of Friendless Churches’ magazine, June 2024.
- A new east window for St Denis’ – A4, PDF flyer.
Published on the original Hatley website, June 2017; updated with additional material on 4th January 2025. ▲