Seating and Pews

Thinking of changing the seating in your place of worship?

The removal of pews can be a contentious and difficult subject. Before you make any changes, look at the Seating In Churches advice on the Churchcare website which also gives information on the significance of historic pews.

Removing your pews
If you do wish to remove your pews, the Churchcare website has tips on how to choose the best form of seating for your place of worship and in 2012 they ran a competition to find the best designed chair for a church.  See the winning designs here.

Take A Pew Home & raise funds
One way of raising funds for your church is to re-size and re-house your pews. Members of your congregation and neighbourhood may be keen to take a piece of their church fabric home with them. You can arrange for them to have the pews remodelled to fit their houses. Contact a local joiner or Opening Doors in Carlisle.

Opening Doors, a social enterprise, works with people with mental health and other problems by providing social inclusion and work/volunteering opportunities such as furniture building and restoration, desktop publishing (brochures, leaflets etc) and printing. Contact: Opening Doors, Lancaster Street Carlisle Cumbria CA1 1TF Tel. 01228 810888, Email them This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Like your pews?
A number of churches have turned pews around at the back of the church so that they face each other. By placing tables between then, they have created an in-keeping meeting/social area. Others have pushed their pews to the side walls to free up space. Another option is to put pews on casters so that they can be easily moved.

Stacking pews - Luke Hughes & Co, furniture designers and makers, have designed lighter pews which can be easily stacked and stored. Contact: Luke Hughes & Co Tel. 020 7404 5995, 182 Drury Lane, Covent Garden, London, CW2B 5PP.