Church that has become 'burden' to close and be sold off

The town’s community groups which use the church for meetings and rehearsals have been told that they will have to find new premises by the end of August, when the church authorities will prepare the building for closure.

The last service at the church, which is more than 100 years old and is the only Methodist church in the town, will be on January 23.

However, the Methodist fellowship within the town will continue.

A spokesman for the church said: “We are closing because our congregation has got older and smaller, down to around 40 now, and we can no longer manage the workload of managing the building as there is only a handful of us who are involved in looking after it.

"Coping with the high maintenance of the building has become too much of a burden.”

"It is very sad. Many of our members have worshipped at Christchurch for all of their lives. A number of them were baptised there and their grandchildren were baptised there.

“We are very sorry that our facilities will not be available to the organisations which use our rooms. They have been written to, meetings here will have to cease at the end of August when we will prepare the building for our exit.

"We will vacate the building in January. The expectation is that the building will be sold.”

Marlborough organisations that use the church for meetings include the Choral Society, the Women’s Institute, Sparklers Kids Club, the Women’s Fellowship and the Marlborough Community Choir.

Christchurch minister the Rev Stephen Skinner

The minister of Christchurch is the Rev Stephen Skinner, who is also minister of the Methodist churches in Pewsey and Aldbourne.

The spokesman said: “Although the premises are closing, we as a Methodist fellowship in the town will continue and we will be looking for other premises or partnerships.”

If the building, in New Road, goes on the market it could command a handsome price due to its central position.

The former United Church in Trowbridge went on the market last year, with planning permission for conversion to 20 flats, at a price of £2.25 million.

It is understood that Marlborough Town Council is to explore the possibility of taking on the Christchurch building for use as a community or heritage centre, but enquiries by the council into the prospect of this are at an early stage.