King Charles's derelict church being transformed with mega £2m revamp

07 March 2024 , 11:26

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King Charles's derelict church being transformed with mega £2m revamp

A 19th century church which belonged to King Charles is being transformed with a huge £2million budget.

St Paul's Jubilee Memorial Church, in Penzance, Cornwall, is dilapidated following more than 20 years of disuse. It closed on April 30, 2000 due to the mounting costs of staffing and maintenance and, in 2020, the then Prince Charles put the church on the market and it was sold at auction for £112,000.

Giles Shorter, an architect specialising in listed buildings acquired St Paul's Jubilee Memorial Church at the auction in May last year, now has grand designs for the building. The 43-year-old dad said: "Last week I was sweeping out 25 years of pigeon poo from St Paul's Church, a building once owned by the King at the furthest western end of the country. This week I’m in Hertfordshire in a £150m mansion house, designing the country’s first residential underground gun range and bowling alley.

"Next week I'm giving a speech at a granite pulpit to a group of interested local Penzance residents, and the week after, I'm flying to stay in the Arch Duke's Franz Ferdinand's Hunting Lodge with a vision of turning it into a conference centre for world leaders to discuss regulations surrounding AI development."

St Paul's Church in Penzance has become dilapidated (Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

The plan is for the church, built in 1843 and extended in 1893, to become a community hub again - Mr Shorter denied it is going to be turned to flats. He has arranged an open day - Friday March 15 - for Penzance residents to pop in and share their thoughts on its future.

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But Mr Shorter, who bought the church for £22,000 more than its guide price, told Cornwall Live: "The auction was on May 25 last year on my mother's birthday. I think it was a serendipitous moment telling me to get it.

"My career was never just about preserving stone and timber; it was about revitalising spaces for the evolution of human consciousness through activating the community's heart and soul. That’s how the artist in me morphed into the skint philanthropist. I've ventured through life, juggling roles as a father, a partner, and a visionary, fuelled by a belief in the power of now. From securing a future for my family in Hertfordshire and Cornwall to embarking on this project with every ounce of resource I could muster, it's been a ride of relentless passion and a dash of madness."

There are huge plans to revive the derelict building (Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

Mr Shorter divides his time between Cornwall's most westerly major town and Hertfordshire, where his son lives. As a result, it is likely the £2million project will take five years to complete. Mr Shorter said he wants to create a sustainable community asset such as a creative hub and incubator that nurtures creativity and innovation, providing artists, designers, and entrepreneurs with the resources and environment they need to thrive.

The church could also become a cultural and wellness centre that promotes health and well-being through workshops, classes, and events centred around mindfulness, fitness, and the arts as well as a community marketplace for local artisans, farmers, and producers to sell their goods, fostering a sense of community and supporting the local economy or a space to hold educational workshops, exhibitions and recording facilities.

"Our aim is not just to complement these existing projects but to weave them into a larger tapestry that enriches Penzance. Think of St Paul's as a pathway or causeway, where the historical meets the horizon of future possibilities. We're not just another venue; we're a catalyst for cohesion, aiming to create a symbiotic relationship where each project feeds into and fuels the others," the father continued.

Giles Shorter says he wants the community to have their say about the future of the church (Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

"I think Penzance will benefit from the agglomeration - the whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts. Through open communication, shared intentions, and a disciplined drive, we aim to turn Penzance into a beacon of creativity and collaboration that shines far beyond its borders. So, in a way, we're all part of the same symphony, each playing a distinct note that contributes to a grander melody of community transformation and growth. This is a holistic vision that could herald a Penzance renaissance."

The architect is currently in the process of applying for various grants from the Penzance Town Fund and others under the umbrella company he has set up called Do Anything Now. He wants the ground floor space of the church to be ready by the deadline of December 2025 he has been given by potential public funders but developing the whole building could take a lot longer than two years and would involve serious money too.

"It's the intentions that give me the drive to see it become a reality," Mr Shorter added. "I want to see as many people as possible fulfil their potential and achieve contentment. It's about giving people their own path to hope and progression so they find their own self-worth. The intentions are pure, I just have to navigate the process."

Olivier Vergnault