St Botolph’s, Burton Hastings in Nuneaton Deanery has completed its extension which adds an accessible toilet and small kitchen to the church.
The church has medieval origins. Its chancel and part of the tower date back to the 14th century, and the nave was added in the early 16th century. Although restored in the Victorian period, many traces of its medieval past survive today. The building is listed at Grade II.
The village has no public house, no shops and no village hall. St Botolph’s is the only public building in the parish and has always been used for village events including meetings, and as a polling station, alongside regular worship, and other special services and events throughout the year.
Prior to the construction of the extension the church had no WC facilities, or ability to easily and safely serve refreshments. It didn’t even have a mains water supply. As the only public building in the village, it was important that a solution was found to introduce these much needed facilities into the building.
A number of options were considered, however back in 2015 it was agreed that an extension on the North side of the church, accessed by a long-since blocked up medieval doorway in the North wall, would be the best solution. Planning Permission was granted in 2016, followed by Faculty permission in 2017. A long fundraising campaign and the impact on the works by the Coronavirus pandemic caused some delays, but the extension was finally completed in early 2022.
The new facilities have enabled the church to be used more widely by both the congregation and the wider community alike, becoming a social hub in the centre of this small village.