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What is it?
A Building project addressing the access constraints and lack of toilet at the Grade I listed St Mary Magdalene Church Willen Village.
A Learning and events programme celebrating the building’s architect and his role at the forefront of scientific experimentation and learning.
Is it needed?
In 1983 the Society of the Sacred Mission made a request to Milton Keynes Development Corporation for a village meeting place. The neighbouring St Antony’s Priory was developed from the old Willen Village vicarage and included amenities the church congregation could use.
In 2019 the priory closed and access to a toilet and meeting room were lost. In 2022 the Hooke Heritage Project began working to replace those lost amenities.
A request made in 1983 to Milton Keynes Development Corporation
What difference will it make?
The new building will provide accessible toilets and modern amenities designed to current access standards.
An example of the accessibility challenges the church currently faces
Have appropriate space for concerts, exhibitions, talks, school visits, and intergenerational community events. including income-generating events to sustain the historic church.
An example of the challenges faced hosting social events inside the church.
Provide a destination rest point for walkers and cyclists using the churchyard as a scenic route within Milton Keynes’ famous redway network and to Willen Lake and Campbell Park.
Cycle groups often use the church grounds as a rest spot.
Welcome heritage visitors and the expanding population of Milton Keynes: set to grow from about 290,000 to 410,000 by 2050, including residents of 5,000 new nearby homes in Milton Keynes East.
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Vision
The Hooke Heritage Project vision is that by 2035, St Mary Magdalene Church will be a thriving and resilient local hub, uniting the entire community in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the birth of its polymath architect, Robert Hooke.
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Aim
The journey will be as impactful as its outcome.
The project‘s commissioning and tendering process will encourage professional development and the sharing of deliverables through community events.
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Listening
To ensure diverse voices and perspective from varying backgrounds and ages help shape the project.
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Collaborating
Encouraging mutual support, sharing skills, reaching wider and more diverse audiences. The church and its building project are for instance currently being used by Milton Keynes College students to provide curriculum material.
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Phase 1: Research and test
Preliminary independent research by the Oxford Heritage Partnership identified that the Grade I listed St Mary Magdalene Church was of high significance.
Statement of Significance Willen St Mary Magdalene
Reordering or extending the church was considered by specialist heritage architect James Mackintosh who concluded that its Grade I listed status, location within a Grade II churchyard in a conservation area, and its symmetrical layout, uneven floor levels, and historical importance meant altering the building wasn’t feasible.
He then drafted options for a small new separate building to stimulate public debate (not for construction) by showing different architectural styles, materials, and potential locations within the churchyard. Feedback from public and stakeholders showed there was sufficient support to move forward.
To test the viability of the concept, a Milton Keynes-wide community survey and Internal field and desk research helped model an Operational Business Plan. It defined the new building’s purpose, users, and delivery model, the scale and configuration of a new building, and its financial and community impact. The business planning process confirmed the concept is viable.
Phase 2: What will it look like?
It will
Be a small new building with accessible toilet, servery and event space.
Have an implied connection to the Grade I church whilst being separate and subservient.
Be inspired by Hooke’s history at the forefront of experimentation, thinking and science.
Be specified to minimise running costs, reduce negative and enhance positive environmental impacts, and generate income to sustain the Grade I Church.Archaeology and ecology surveys will identify the optimum location, and architectural drawings, pre-planning and a delivery cost estimate will then be developed.
Consultation with the community and stakeholders will inform the process.
Phase 3: Construction
This will begin once the development phase is completed, and the construction cost has been raised.
- Heritage Fund, Oxford Diocese development fund, Society of the Sacred Mission, St Mary Magdalene Church and Milton Keynes City Council.
- Those who donate at our events.
- Project volunteers who donate their expertise.
- Philanthropic companies which donate cash or in kind.
How is it paid for?
A public fundraising campaign will be launched once the target cost and design are confirmed. For project early research and concept delivery, we are grateful to:
Lottery, trust and foundation applications are being made to pay for technical expertise to define the building’s location, design, cost and pre-planning.
Who’s delivering it?
The Hooke Heritage Project is a voluntary, community led committee of Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership (charity no. 1200563) of which St Mary Magdalene Willen is a partner.
Advisors: include stakeholders Milton Keynes City Council and The Diocese of Oxford, and the ‘What Would Hooke Do’ Think Tank, an informal group of technical experts and civic leaders who voluntarily advise.
Delivery: a small, expert group of community and congregation volunteers deliver project direction, management, fundraising, communications, events and monitoring. Their expertise includes strategic planning, fundraising, project management and communications.