St John the Baptist | Rako Lighting Solutions

St John the Baptist - Cathedral of the Peak

Tideswell

Project background

Nestled in the heart of the Peak District, the village of Tideswell is home to one of England's most remarkable parish churches, St John the Baptist. Known affectionately as the "Cathedral of the Peak," this 14th-century Gothic masterpiece has stood for over 700 years, drawing visitors from far and wide with its stunning architecture and deep-rooted history. Yet, despite its beauty, much of the church's interior has remained in the shadows, with intricate details obscured by outdated and inadequate lighting, until now….

After years of planning and fundraising, a transformative lighting project has unveiled the church's hidden treasures, making it a more versatile venue for community events. The previous lighting system, installed over 50 years ago, was not only obsolete but also largely non-functional. With only a quarter of the system working, the church has relied on haphazard fixes just to keep the lights on. The new lighting, however, breathes new life into this ancient building, revealing its most extraordinary features in ways that have never been seen before.

A community effort

The church has always been a focal point for the Tideswell community, hosting a variety of events each year, including school visits, concerts, professional theatre performances, and even a BBC Songs of Praise recording. These events bring in over 25,000 visitors annually, supporting local businesses and contributing to the village’s vibrant cultural life. However, the outdated lighting system had been a significant barrier to fully utilising the church’s potential as an event space.

Recognising the importance of this project, the church decided to partner with a local electrical company, Current Standard Electric (CSE). For CSE, the project was not just another job. “We’re honoured to be in that space and working on this beautiful building,” said Dan Rhode, one of the company’s electricians. “To be up close to parts of the building on scaffolding that nobody’s seen in centuries is very cool. It’s humbling to think that the work we’ve carried out will have an impact on these services and events for decades to come.”

Challenges

The biggest challenge was identifying suitable alternative lights to those specified in the original plan some five years before; things had moved on and products evolved since the design was first created. The lights (and the cabling) had to be both adequate and unobtrusive.

Additionally, most lights are designed to be fitted directly to a wall with buried cabling; an innovative use of junction boxes as mounting points for the lights was used to overcome the challenge. Although the cable runs were planned in advance, considerable flexibility was required once able to view the roof structure up close, to minimise any damage to the structure.

One of the most delicate aspects of the project was working around the church’s historic organ, a vital and cherished part of the building’s heritage. The new lighting highlights the organ’s features, but CSE had to take extra precautions to ensure the instrument was not disturbed during the renovation.

The new system will reduce the church’s energy use significantly, cutting the power needed for full lighting from 20kW to just 4kW, thanks to modern LED technology. The upgrade not only makes the church more sustainable but will also lower its operating costs, freeing up resources for other community initiatives.

Rako products used

Rako’s WMR-DLI units were installed alongside four Rako keypads and a WK-HUB. Rako provided excellent pre and post sales support through several iterations and the WMRs were ultimately selected for greater future flexibility and zone configuration. CSE were also pleased to be able to reduce the number of cables running vertically to roof height from around 45 to 4!

Favourite project features

The new lighting system, designed to be both theatrical and functional, highlights the church’s stunning architectural and artistic features, many of which have been hidden in darkness for centuries. From the intricate stone and wood carvings to the towering 45-foot stained glass windows, the lighting design showcases the full glory of the church’s architectural design and with the Rako lighting control system, customisable scenes can be created for various events, from weddings and baptisms to community gatherings hosted in the church.

The completed project not only enhances the aesthetic and spiritual experience for visitors and worshippers alike but also creates new possibilities for the types of events that can be hosted in the church. With this renovation, the church is set to become not only a vibrant centre for worship but also a hub for community events and cultural activities and a must-see destination for anyone visiting the Peak District.