New research by Historic England (HE) reveals strong public support for preserving historic churches, even among those who do not regularly attend services or identify as religious
Historic England writes:
This landmark economic study provides robust quantitative evidence that people are not only willing to pay to protect these buildings, but they place significantly greater value on historic churches than on comparable modern ones. Importantly, the research shows this value is tied to the buildings’ historic character, not just their use. The study used an innovative approach to isolate the value of the church building itself, over the activities that typically take place within them. By adapting an established economic method (known as Discrete Choice Experiments), the research quantifies, for the first time, the public’s willingness to pay for the heritage features of churches, providing groundbreaking evidence into how much these buildings are valued by society.
The results revealed a clear ‘heritage premium’, strong evidence that the historic character of churches holds significant value beyond what modern equivalents provide. While church activities can take place in any building, this study quantifies the substantial value lost when the unique character of historic churches is removed, for both regular worshippers and the wider public.
Highlights of the research:
- A willingness by regular church users to pay an average of £15.40 for the full restoration of a historic church, compared to just £3.80 for a modern one
- Even among non-users, 46% of whom had not visited any church in the previous year, willingness to pay averaged £6.30 for historic churches compared to only £0.40 for modern buildings
- A similar pattern was found for essential repairs, where historic churches consistently attracted a higher willingness to pay than modern counterparts
- People also expressed a willingness to pay for improvements in community use for both historic and modern churches. This demonstrates that churches’ contribution to people’s lives is recognised and appreciated, for example as food banks, warm spaces, music events and improved accessibility for quiet reflection and religious services.
The experiment
To understand the public value, over 4,500 participants made more than 27,000 choices as part of the study. Respondents were presented with randomly generated options for potential improvements to a church, each accompanied by a randomised cost, and asked to select their preferred option. The only variation between churches were their type (three historic parish churches, one listed non-conformist church and a modern church). Each respondent was only shown one church, while all other factors, (maintenance, community activities, opening hours, name and religious services) were held the same. This design allowed researchers to isolate the ‘heritage premium’, which refers to the specific extra value that people place on a building’s historic character, independent of its function or activities.
Thomas Colwill, Senior Economist, Historic England [said] ‘This research provides clear, quantifiable evidence that historic churches matter deeply to the public, regardless of whether they attend religious services. These buildings are part of our shared national story, and people value them not just as places of worship, but as enduring landmarks that connect us to the past.’
Powerful evidence of public value
These findings offer powerful evidence of the public value placed on historic churches, not just by regular worshippers, but by the wider population. This can help church communities strengthen funding applications and provides policymakers with a robust economic case for supporting the preservation of heritage buildings.
Digital technology valued the least
The research also found that investments in digital technology were consistently valued the least, suggesting that communities prioritise structural preservation and heritage character over modernisation.
At a time when many places of worship face significant financial pressures, including cuts to VAT reimbursement grants for repairs and maintenance, this evidence strengthens the case for continued and targeted funding support.
Methodology
This research was conducted in line with HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance, ensuring results are robust, standardised and suitable for informing future policy public and investment decisions. The methodology developed through this study can also be applied to other types of historic buildings, offering a valuable new tool to quantify the non-market benefits of heritage assets and better articulate their public value.
