Rescue plan for historic church in a Harrogate village which has close links to William Wilberforce

A new campaign has been launched to rescue a threatened historic church in a Harrogate village which has close links to 19th century abolitionist MP William Wilberforce.

The village of Markington, which lies between Ripon and Harrogate, may have a population of less than 1,000 residents but its small but pretty church was commissioned by the family of William Wilberforce, the leading force in Parliament behind the ending of the slave trade.

Built at the instigation of Wilberforce's eldest son, St Michael's Church was opened in October 1844.

This charming church’s early Gothic style was the work of architect Adolphus Henry Cates of York.

The church's east window is credited to William Wailes, whose work is seen in many West Yorkshire churches, including Ripon Cathedral.

Today this Grade II listed building, which has survived both fires and storms in its 180-year history, lies cold, dark and empty - the victim of a leaking roof and sizable maintenance costs.

The final, lonely service at St Michaels took place last Christmas in the one corner of the church still deemed safe enough for its small congregation of worshippers.

The property of the Diocese of Leeds, having deemed the costs as simply unsustainable, the Church of England is currently contemplating a new future for the former church buildings away from its original role.

But a new campaign group called Save St Michael's Church has been launched by villager and author Antony Pickthall to save the building and restore it to life for the benefit of the wider community.

Pickthall has a background in the arts and he hopes to turn the church in a direction which is true to its rich history and to the legacy of William Wilberforce.

"We are seeking to secure this wonderful little building, which is steeped in history and has so many links to William Wilberforce, for the benefit of Markington and the surrounding villages,” said Pickthall.

"The ultimate idea is to explore a Wilberforce Centre for Freedom, combining heritage and contemporary art with activities for the village.

"It would be a place to explore how people campaign for freedom, rooted in Markington's own history."

Despite its leafy setting and atmosphere of peace, the church building of St Michaels has seen some rough times in its long life.

A disastrous storm in 1962 blew down the belfry while, in 1973, the building suffered a fire in the vestry, resulting in the destruction of the Altar Frontals, Vestments, Robes, Linen, Furnishings, and many records.

But the repairs were always done and, after being Grade II listed in 1986, it almost seemed that St Michael's Church was indestructible.

Almost...

The new campaign’s steering group in Markington, is already reaching out to the Church of England and the descendants of Wilberforce to establish the groundwork for a future of community use.

The sums of money required to achieve this are likely to be substantial, in the area of several hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But members of the Save St Michael's Church campaign group have faith that this can be achieved.

The aim is to prepare a costed application for roof conservation and a feasibility study with the objective of securing financial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

”There is a possibility that the Diocese would want to sell the building to the project for best use value, rather than simply the best monetary value,” said Antony Pickthall.

"People often confuse the building, which is closed, with the church itself which is active in the village.

"Weekly services are still taking place in the village, just not in the church.

"Funding is harder to acquire for a church, than for a heritage building."

As it seeks to establish dialogue with all relevant parties, the next step for the Save St Michael's Church campaign is to transform itself into a company with charitable status or a community interest company.

Members are also hopeful of securing a meeting on the future of the building with Sir Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.