Blog

March 11, 2025

By Josh Coupland

From grand cathedrals to atmospheric ruins, England’s historic churches offer filmmakers a wealth of stunning, versatile locations. The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) is the national charity dedicated to protecting these architectural treasures, ensuring they remain part of our cultural landscape for generations to come. With over 360 listed churches across the country, their portfolio provides a unique backdrop for a wide range of productions—from period dramas to contemporary thrillers.

In this exclusive interview, the CCT team shares insight into their mission, the hidden gems waiting to be discovered on screen, and how filming at these historic sites helps preserve England’s rich heritage.

Can you tell us about the mission of the Churches Conservation Trust and the range of historic sites you manage?

Established in 1969 as the Redundant Churches Fund, and renamed The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) in 1994, we are the national charity protecting historic churches at risk. We aim to conserve these irreplaceable buildings for future generations, and, in doing so, to draw attention to their beauty and significance. In 2025, our estate comprises over 360 listed churches across England, from medieval chapels to timber-framed Elizabethan structures, Georgian and Victorian churches, and many more.

What makes churches such unique and versatile filming locations?

Our churches have appeared in everything from period dramas to action films, miniseries, documentaries, and so much more. That’s because, onscreen, historic churches can represent much more than just places of worship. If you need a church or a chapel – small or large, public or private, rustic or ornate – chances are we have the perfect site for you. But our versatile buildings can also serve as authentic historical interiors of many kinds: a village hall, a monastery, a private residence, or even a tomb. Furthermore, because CCT churches are no longer used for regular worship, they are available for location filming year-round, and can lend beauty and atmosphere to any film shoot.

Could you highlight a few of your most popular or distinctive churches for filming? 

The moody and imposing St Thomas Old Church, Friarmere, in North Lancashire, has a rich filming history, including the 2016 blockbuster A Monster Calls and the suspenseful TV thrillers Eleventh Hour and In Cold Blood. Because of its location, perched on the windswept moors above Delph, this church has become a popular site for film adaptations of the Brontë novels, and even hosted the 1997 film Heathcliffe. This Georgian preaching church’s sparse interior calls attention to its intricate wall paintings and richly coloured, Venetian-style stained glass window. The church is within an hour’s easy drive of Manchester’s MediaCityUK.

How have your locations been used in previous productions?

Our churches have set the stage for countless onscreen weddings, funerals, baptisms, worship services, and community events. However, their creative use on screen highlights their enormous versatility. Just recently, in Danny Boyle’s latest film 28 Years Later, the church of St John the Baptist, Stanwick, became the site of a dramatic encounter with the undead.

Are there any hidden gems among your churches that you’d love to see featured on screen? 

We would love to see the romantic, partial ruin of the Church of St John the Baptist, Mongewell, in Oxfordshire, appear more frequently on screen. It occupies a picturesque location on the east bank of the Thames, and consists of a small, Norman chancel, ruined nave walls, and a slender Gothic tower added to the structure in the eighteenth century. This church is also about hour’s drive from Pinewood, Shepperton, and Elstree studios, as well as many others.

What facilities and logistical support do your churches offer to productions? 

Facilities vary across our estate; some churches come equipped with water, electricity, toilet facilities, and more, while other buildings – generally our smaller and more remote sites – may require some creative workarounds. At all our sites, however, we can promise a helpful and responsive filming department, as well as a dedicated filming contact to help facilitate your project and bring your vision to life.  

How does hosting film productions contribute to preserving and promoting these historic sites? 

When you film at one of our churches, all proceeds from the location hire go straight back to these vital buildings, helping to conserve England’s historic landscape and keep our churches standing for generations to come. Moreover, when our churches appear in film and TV, they can help to draw public attention and to inspire new, creative uses for heritage sites, which in turn ensures that these buildings retain their historic status as community hubs, and remain part of the cultural conversation.

Have you noticed any significant impact on public interest or tourism following a production filmed at one of your locations? 

Ever since the release of Gentleman Jack, the BBC’s historic drama following the life of the trailblazing queer diarist Anne Lister, Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, in York has become a site of special significance for both fans of the show and fans of the woman herself. People come to Holy Trinity from far and wide to visit the site where Lister formalised her marital commitment to her partner Ann Walker in 1834, making the church a place of queer pilgrimage for many. Although the church boasts a rainbow plaque, a permanent memorial to Anne Lister and Ann Walker, the filming of Gentleman Jack proved instrumental to the promotion of this significant site, which hosts thousands of visitors every year.

What are your hopes for working with the film industry in the coming years?

In the coming years, we hope to continue to strengthen our rapport with industry professionals in order to showcase the full potential of our unique and varied estate for location filming.

To learn more about filming at CCT churches, visit: Our Churches on Screen – Filming with the Churches Conservation Trust. You can also find more unique locations from CCT on the Filming in England National Locations Directory here. If you’ve got a specific production in mind, want to see a location catalogue, or are looking for more information, email us at filming@thecct.org.uk. We’re always happy to chat.