St John the Baptist Church, Shropshire

St John the Baptist is a medieval stone church in Shropshire with a traditional nave arcade, timber roof and clerestory windows. The building is Grade II listed, which means any heating work needs Diocesan Advisory Committee approval and must respect the historic fabric.

The challenge

The previous heating came from storage heaters that were reaching end of life. They were slow to respond, expensive on electricity, and struggled to make the stone building comfortable during winter services. Replacing them with a gas system would have required pipework, a flue and significant intervention into the listed structure.

The approach

Infrared radiant heaters were mounted high on the stone arcade walls above the nave, angled to direct warmth down toward the pews. The fixing points were carefully chosen to use existing mortar joints, and cabling was routed discreetly along the wall.

The DAC approved the installation because it is largely reversible. The heaters can be removed without damage to the stonework, and no underfloor work, trenching or pipework was needed.

Heritage considerations

The heaters sit unobtrusively above head height on the arcade wall. From the nave floor they are barely visible against the stone. There is no impact on the timber roof, the windows or the floor. The installation took three days with no closure of the church for regular worship.

Result

The congregation now has instant warmth during services without any pre-heating period. The church can be heated zone by zone depending on which areas are in use, which keeps running costs proportional to actual usage. The listed fabric is untouched.