Historic Buildings

Sharing our Future

This large Grade II* listed Church of The Annunciation, Marble Arch (1912) by Walter Tapper, a leading 20thC architect, which is on Historic England’s At Risk Register, has recently completed an NLHF-funded resilience project. It is a popular and increasingly well-used church close to Oxford Street, unfortunately hampered by several problems and barriers. The project is Phase One of a Masterplan; it will make sound inroads into improving the Church’s condition through repair and conservation of the fabric. There will be a focus on the deteriorating nave and baptistry roof, addressing windows and high-level stonework, with re-ordering and access improvements. An extensive collection of rare ecclesiastical vestments dating from the 17thC will be conserved. “Sharing our Future” also focuses on strengthening a hub to benefit the deaf community with whom the Church is now continuously in dialogue. Activities have been piloted and links forged for a two-year activity plan directed towards providing skills training and other heritage activities for the deaf, targeting c.2,000 deaf people annually.