Holmleigh is a detached house at the top of Church Road in Upton, next to St Mary’s Church Hall. It was built by William Inman of Upton Manor in 1869, a year after St Mary’s Church opened. The house was used by Mr Inman’s Estate Bailiff. In 1884 the house was given to St Mary’s Church by its then owner, Mrs Forbes of the Salacres.

In 1911 a new vicar came to St Mary’s, the reverend Canon Bellamy, he decided the vicarage on Ford Road, a big, rambling building and with seven bedrooms was not suitable, so he moved into Holmleigh. The old vicarage was sold as a private residence and renamed The Priory.



In 1928 a new Vicarage was built further down Church Road and Holmleigh was sold to Dr Bulmer, the first resident doctor in the village.

The church bought Holmleigh back in 1985, and it is now used for office accomodation and meeting rooms.

St Mary’s now has a 1.8 million pound plan to demolish Homleigh, and part of the church hall, and build a new building on the site.

If they can afford to spend so much money demolishing it, why not restore it to it's former glory?? Such a shame to pull it down

I like the new development, much more useable.

The subject is misleading. There has been no decision to demolish Holmleigh yet. It is only a plan and subject to the parish raising enough to modernise their buildings which are becoming unfit for purpose for the many church and community projects in which St Mary's is involved.

For a complete understanding of the proposals go to http://www.stm-upton.org.uk/ and click on the "Faith Building" link on the righ hand side. Sadly there have been a number of uninformed rumours about the proposals from individuals who have never been seen at the open meetings which have been held to seek local opinion about the project.

Proponents will say that the project is needed to take the church forward into the 21st century and strengthen their links with the community. It has already built up an outstanding youth project in "The Bank" http://thebank.org.uk/ which is open to all young people, not just church members.

Opponents argue that it is a shame to knock down a lovely old building and why doesn't St Mary's renovate it and the adjoining church halls.

I suppose it boils down to what (if anything) you want from a church - a nice Christmas card group of buildings which is good to look at but which sits empty most of the week and looks in on itself, or a complex including the 1868 Victorian church building which is there to serve the modern community whether regular church-goers or not.

quote "The subject is misleading." The artists impression is not----- as it clearly shows the old Holmleigh not there. It should read Church Plans to Demolish Holmleigh. Are they intending in knocking down the old church as well to bring that into the 21st century-- its not very green heating so huge a roofspace.

Just a reminder of where the good old Church of England invests its money

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...o-10m-invested-in-arms-firm-8803469.html



Thou shlt not kill--but if you do we will provide the gun