Dean Waugh
Sir: On reading Mr Auberon Waugh's splendid article on the success of the National Trust and the declining fortunes of the Anglican Church (Another voice, 22 July), I wondered if he could be prevailed upon to give up the Roman obedience and accept the next vacant deanery in the Church of England, which his talents de- serve.
But two points need to be made: first, although a generally philistine clergy have been only too pleased to give up the rich heritage of parsonages which have served as a focus of community life for so long, one may wonder whether diocesan author- ities are really concerned for their clergy.s welfare. Selling vicarages and rectories is really an asset-stripping exercise. The church is quite prepared to maintain costly buildings when it has a mind to. Whoever heard of a diocese selling its well housed administrative offices?
Secondly, not all parsons are stupid enough not to value an historic house of which they are temporary stewards. I do not speak of my own diocese, but there are places where clergy are forced out of historic parsonages by diocesan authorities refusing to undertake the necessarY maintenance. The result is that parishion- ers, mostly in the country, are deprived Of a much-loved house which is as significant a part of parish life as the ancient church.
'Dean Waugh' has a Swiftian ring to it, and I would drink to his preferment from my own parsonage, Pevensey Vicarage, built of course by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
Anthony Hammond Christian
St Nicholas Vicarage, Pevensey, Sussex
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