The shortlist / England / St George's Church, South Moor
Photo: Church of England. Click the large photograph to see it full size.
129 years old
St George's Church, South Moor
South Moor, Stanley, County Durham, England
A pit-village church of 1897 by J W Thompson, in the Durham coalfield. Its oak pews of 1937 are adze-dressed, with a carved mouse in three places, and were paid for by subscription. It has gas, water, power and a drain, and it comes with its burial ground.
Our verdict
Ninety-five thousand pounds for a miners’ church with the gas still connected and oak pews with mice carved on them.
Nothing about it is rare except the pews. It is here because it works: a sound room, a road, a plot for cars. If you buy it, write the pews into the contract first.
What is wrong with it
- The pews and the glass are not guaranteed to stay. Get them onto the schedule in writing.
- You take on a burial ground and a memorial garden that families still visit.
- No condition survey.
- The brochure is from March 2024, so it has been on the market for over two years.
- The asking price is subject to the Commissioners' covenants on use.
The story
- 1897J W Thompson built the church for the colliery village of South Moor.
- After 1918A war memorial was put up outside. It is now listed.
- 1923Baguley made the south aisle window.
- 1937The parish subscribed for new pews in adze-dressed oak, with a carved mouse in three places, and an oak font cover.
- 1987Listed Grade II. The listing calls the pews "very high quality".
- March 2024Marketed by Sanderson Weatherall at £95,000.
We have found no published history beyond the listing. The Durham Record Office holds photographs of the church, and the parish registers will give the names of the men who paid for the pews.
Sources: Historic England, list entry 1260778; Sanderson Weatherall brochure, March 2024; Church of England listing
What it needs, and what it might cost
- Safe and dry
- £8,000 to £21,000
- Everything on the list
- £48,000 to £146,000
- Each year after that
- £3,000 to £6,000
This is the lightest list in the English section. The building is serviced and looks sound.
What the photographs show
- The church is squared sandstone under a dark slate roof with red ridge tiles. The roof is even on every slope shown.
- It stands in mown grass with scattered headstones and kerbed graves, behind a low wall.
- A tarmac track runs right round it and a car is parked at the east end.
- Inside, the walls are painted cream above a boarded dado, with no stains.
- The pews are in place and a red carpet runs the length of the nave. The organ pipes fill an arch beside the chancel.
- The roof is boarded and panelled in white between dark ribs.
The work, line by line
| Now: safe and dry | Rough cost | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Survey and report by a conservation-accredited architect | £3,000 to £6,000 | Our assumption |
| Overhaul the cast-iron gutters and downpipes | £5,000 to £15,000 | From the listing |
| Next: fabric and glass | Rough cost | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Test and renew wiring and gas heating as needed | £15,000 to £40,000 | From the listing |
| Slate repairs across about 300 square metres of roof | £15,000 to £60,000 | Our assumption |
| Later: interior and services | Rough cost | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Lay out the north plot for parking | £10,000 to £25,000 | From the listing |
Yearly upkeep, £3,000 to £6,000. Insurance, gas and electricity, gutters, and mowing the burial ground and memorial garden.
Grants. None should be assumed for a Grade II church of 1897.
Condition, as the listing describes it
| General | No condition survey is published. | Unknown |
| Fabric | Sandstone walls, slate roof, cast-iron gutters and downpipes, leaded single-glazed windows. | From the listing |
| Services | Mains electricity, water and gas, and a WC on mains drainage. None tested. | Checked by us |
These are our rough estimates and not quotes. Nobody from this site has been inside the building. We measured from the listing, looked at its photographs, applied published British rates for 2025 and 2026, and raised them for scaffolding, height and heritage rules. Figures are for works only, before architect's fees of 10 to 15% and VAT. Rot, structural movement and asbestos do not show in a photograph. How we estimate.
The seller
Church Commissioners for England, with the diocese. To the Church of England. The sale runs under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011. The proceeds are shared between the diocese and the Church Commissioners, and part of the Commissioners' share funds the Churches Conservation Trust.
What you may do with it
Light use. A warm, serviced room of 255 square metres with a road round it and a spare plot for cars. The pews are the best thing in it, and the vendor has kept the right to take them.
Sacred status
| Worship | Closed for regular worship. The sale needs a pastoral scheme from the Church Commissioners, which goes to public consultation and lifts the legal effects of consecration. | From the listing |
| Closed | Date not stated. The brochure is dated March 2024. | Checked by us |
Heritage status
| Listing | Grade II, listed 21 January 1987, record 1260778. The war memorial outside is listed separately. | Checked by us |
| Consent | Listed building consent is needed for any change that affects the character of the building, inside or outside. You apply to the council. Historic England is consulted for Grade I and II* buildings. | Checked by us |
| Use | No designated use. Buyers must show a business plan and proof of funds. | Checked by us |
What comes with it
| Floor area | 255 square metres, 6.47 metres to the apex. | From the listing |
| Pews | Adze-dressed oak throughout, given by subscribers in 1937, by Thompson of Masham, with mouse carvings in three places. The font cover is by the same maker. | Checked by us |
| Glass | A south aisle window of 1923 by Baguley, and chancel windows of St Mary, St George and St Michael. | Checked by us |
| What may leave | A schedule of fittings is agreed when an offer is accepted. The vendor may remove any fitting or stained glass not on it. | Checked by us |
| Land | The land on the sale plan, most of it burial ground, with a track round the church and a small rectangular plot to the north. | From the listing |
The dead
| Burial ground | Most of the site is used for burials and it is offered with the building. | From the listing |
| Memorial garden | A garden of remembrance on the north side is described as very well used. | From the listing |
Getting there
| Road | On South Moor Road, Stanley, with vehicle access round the building. | From the listing |
| Train | Not stated. | Unknown |
How the sale works
| Covenants | The Commissioners write covenants into the sale that limit the building to the use they approved. Expect several months between an accepted offer and completion. | From the listing |
People to call
- Selling agent: Sanderson Weatherall
- Seller: Church Commissioners for England, Closed Churches team
- Listed building consent: Durham County Council
- Heritage adviser: Historic England
"From the listing" means the seller's agent says so. "Checked by us" means we confirmed it against a public record, linked where possible. "Unknown" is a question to put to the agent before you visit.