Exciting Development for Local Craft and Arts Workers – You Can Help
We are now the owners of the former Bible Christian Chapel, known as St Peter’s Streetl. This became possible when a generous benefactor made a substantial loan to enable us to buy it. We need to keep fundraising to pay this back. You can support the studios, through this link.
The Building
The former Bible Christian Church on St Peter’s Street is a Grade 2 listed building. It was originally known as Chapel Street and was a Wesleyan chapel – one of two in the main St Ives town serving the upper richer and lower poorer areas of the port. But it was not successful and sold to the Bible Christian congregation in 1858.
The Bible Christians came into being in the town in 1829 and used various lofts for meetings while they tried to obtain land to build a chapel. It was the purchase of the St Peter’s Street Chapel from the Wesleyans in 1858 which brought that search to an end.
The Bible Christians enlarged it during the rest of the 19th century, but over the years fortunes fluctuated with wealth in money and numbers and the Chapel eventually came into the full Methodist fold – still known as the Bible Christian or St Peters Street locally.
We have been fortunate to speak to Steve Trevorrow, who worked on the roof in 1983. The tiles used are Delabole slate and he explained exactly how they were put on. This information has allowed us to aim to only replace tiles if need be. The work to the roof is mainly timber replacement and an insulating fix. We should be able to work on the roof from inside the building.
It is a testament to the strength of Delabole slate and to the craft of the workers who installed the roof that it has worn so well.
Please donate to ensure we can continue to pay the utility bills, the insurance and small maintenance costs:
donating £10
donating £20
donating £50
donating £100
or choose your own amount
Please email us if you wish to donate more than £500.
The Plan
The Chapel became vacant in 2022 and is in need of some refurbishment. After consultation with members and the community and in line with the St Ives Neighbourhood Plan, our project for the Bible Christian Chapel is to house 9 arts and craft workers with spaces at affordable rental rates and access to business support.
The project is in its final development phase. Two grants from The Architectural Heritage Fund enabled surveys to be conducted and the necessary building, project and heritage consultants to be appointed. Their support has been crucial to us getting the project off the ground.
In the main room, the balcony area, the pulpit and the organ all are part of the heritage listing and will be kept. So the studios in the main room will need to be in keeping with the listed areas. The other studios will be designed to go in to the side room.
We need people to complete a short form to show how much the building means to local people, to support its acquisition for the community, and to support for the project. The form is below.
Please donate to ensure we have the sufficient amount required of community fundraising to go alongside our grant applications by
donating £10
donating £20
donating £50
donating £100
or choose your own amount
Please email us if you wish to donate more than £500. The amount we need to raise is £265,000