St John in the Wilderness, Shuttleworth A PLANNING application has been submitted to convert a disused Victorian church into a two bedroom home. St John in the Wilderness, in Whalley Road, Shuttleworth, was built in 1847, but closed its doors in 2017 after it could not raise the £250,000 necessary for repairs. The church was shut temporarily due to damage to its ceiling in 2016 when an architect’s inspection raised concerns that plaster was chipping away, posing a safety worry. Following consultations, it was decided that raising the money to pay for the repairs was not feasible. St John’s is not a nationally listed building but it is on the local Council list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.