CofE accused of asset-stripping over property sales

Bishops' historic houses are put on the market by commissioners to cut huge maintenance bills
By Andrew McCorkell and Mike Glover
Sunday, 11 September 2011

Some of the Church of England's finest historic properties are coming under the hammer as bishops' grace-and-favour residences across the country are sold off to cut costs.

The Independent on Sunday has identified at least seven prime Church of England buildings which have been, or are to be, sold. While the Anglican church needs funds, some of the sales have prompted suggestions that it is indulging in asset stripping.

See houses, as the properties are known, have been put on the market in Bristol, London, Portsmouth, Ripon, Rochester and Carlisle, as well as Hartlebury Castle, Worcester, which is Grade I-listed.

Auckland Castle, the Bishop of Durham's residence since 1832, owned by the church since the 12th century, is also under review. All have been deemed "unsuitable" as bishops' residences since 1999. the rest