Free Seats for All: The Boom in Church Building after Waterloo

An astonishing number of churches was built after Waterloo and the momentum continued for many years beyond. The Church Building Commission (CBC) was backed by the government, but the Incorporated Church Building Society (ICBS) is less well known. Thanks to the efforts of a small number of committed promoters, and backed by Hoare’s Bank, the ICBS raised some GBP1.6 million for church building and improvements. The emphasis of the ICBS was in establishing free seats for all, as opposed to the reliance on pew rents.

The story of church building from Waterloo is full of fascinating detail about 10,000 churches of all denominations supported with grants. It is a highly readable and attractive summary of an extraordinary moment in 19th century church architecture and its resonance in the 20th and 21st century. 2018 sees the centenaries of the Church Building Act and the Incorporated Church Building Society, whose work is continued today by the National Churches Trust.