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Abandoned UK chapel 'about to collapse' - 128 years old

Reach Daily Express | May 3, 2026 6:40 PM CST

An abandoned chapel in a UK city is deteriorating and there is "no plan" for its future, a charity has warned. St Michael's Roman Catholic Cemetery Chapel in Sheffield's City Road Cemetery has been left unused and grows "increasingly unstable", standing at "serious risk", the Victorian Society said. Experts added that it is part of a wider national pattern of neglect affecting cemetery chapels of the period.

The chapel is one of three originally built within the city's largest municipal cemetery, and has always been owned and maintained by Sheffield City Council. Its construction was supported by the Duke of Norfolk, a prominent Catholic patron. The Victorian Society said: "Today, the building has been unused for many years and is visibly deteriorating."

It added that serious structural concerns had been found, including the roof being in extremely poor condition, with missing tiles, vegetation growth and "likely compromised structural integrity".

"Although limited repairs have been carried out to sections of the stonework, there is no clear plan for the building's future. Attempts to engage both the Council and the Duke of Norfolk's estate have failed to produce meaningful progress," the society said.

The situation is of particular concerning given the wider pressures on the cemetery itself.

The charity highlighted that Sheffield is "expected to run out of burial space within the next decade, yet this historic structure, designed to support the rituals and dignity of burial, remains unused and neglected".

It added: "St Michael's is not an isolated case. Cemetery chapels across England and Wales are falling into disrepair, with increasing numbers now redundant and without clear custodianship.

"The Victorian Society has previously highlighted this issue, including through a national survey in 2009, yet the situation continues to worsen. The growing number of nominations for such buildings to the Society's Top Ten list reflects the scale of the problem.

"The Victorian Society is calling for urgent action to secure the future of St Michael's Chapel, and others like it. Without a clear plan for repair and reuse, these buildings, once central to civic and spiritual life, risk being lost entirely."

Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society President, said: "This is a sad story. People are still dying. Cemeteries are getting over full. We need space to bury our dead. And yet we have so many decaying and neglected Chapels of Rest on our books. A report comes. It is in a poor state.

"The roof is getting dangerous. But reports must be a call to arms. We still value proper burial. We all want proper respect. Some of that value must be turned into action to keep this fine and leading example of a garden cemetery alive and well. The graves and the catholic community deserve no less."

James Hughes, Director of the Victorian Society, said: ''St Michael's is part of a much wider and deeply concerning pattern. Cemetery chapels across the country are being lost through neglect and uncertainty over responsibility. These buildings were designed to serve communities at moments of great importance in people's lives. We must now find new ways to care for them before it is too late."

In a 2019 online forum discussion about the chapel, Sam Haltin wrote: "Looks like the roof is about to collapse that's maybe why it's sealed up. A danger to explorers."

Dirus_Strictus wrote that the building "has been sealed for a very long time - ever since the internal masonry started to collapse".

They added: "Perhaps the Catholic Church should dip into its coffers, the place is just becoming a greater eyesore and detracting from the atmosphere of the cemetery."

A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said: "The building is currently in very poor condition and has been cordoned off on safety grounds. As with other Councilowned buildings, condition surveys are carried out to assess its condition and identify any risks.

"The Council recognises the historic value of the chapel and would like to see it repaired and preserved. At present, there is no identified funding available to carry out the level of restoration required, particularly given the costs associated with a listed building.

"Through the Council's Cremation and Cemetery Services Strategy, opportunities for wider partnership working are being explored, including the potential for 'friends of' groups. Partnership working could help engage local communities and may support future opportunities for external funding or grant bids, if interest emerges."