Digital counters to come in at 40 churches to count people coming in

Currently the only data gathered is from visitor books and figures counted by church wardens on Sundays.

These are thought to seriously underestimate the number of visitors and tourists who visit churches and chapels throughout the whole week.

The Great Church Visitor Count, run by the National Churches Trust, will analyse the difference between the number of entries recorded in a church visitor book and the actual number of visitors who pass through the door.

Ten counters are already installed, including St Peter at Heversham, Cumbria; St James at Jacobstowe, Devon; St Matthews at Skegness, Lincolnshire; St Mary at Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire and St Augustines at Hedon, Yorkshire.

30 more counters will be installed at churches and chapels in Wales and Herefordshire later in 2019.

The counters, attached to the porch, will record the number of visitors they have over two years, with initial results of the research being released in 2020 and a full report in 2021.

To increase the range of data available, the National Churches Trust is asking churches to install their own digital counters and to collaborate in the research project.

Any churches that already have digital counters are also invited to share their data with the research project.

National Churches Trust Chief Executive Claire Walker says: “Our Great Church Visitor Count project will help churches in a number…