St Peter & St Paul Church, Clare

A New Light for a Historic Space: CLS Electrical Services Transforms St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Clare

Delivering modern functionality within a historic setting is always a delicate balance—but one that CLS Electrical Services Ltd has mastered with its recent lighting installation at St Peter & St Paul’s Church in Clare. Blending technical precision with a deep respect for heritage, the project has breathed new life into this much-loved building while preserving its architectural character.

The journey began back in 2020, when CLS Electrical Services first met with the Church’s Parochial Church Council (PCC). Following a detailed survey of the building, the team developed a carefully considered lighting proposal. Their vision was clear: to create a scheme that provided effective general illumination for everyday use, while also introducing focused feature lighting to celebrate the church’s most significant elements.

Key areas identified for enhancement included the High Altar, Lectern, Pulpit, Font, St John’s Chapel and the Ringers’ Gotch—each requiring a tailored lighting approach to highlight its importance within the space. As with many ecclesiastical projects, progress required patience, and it would be several years before the plans came to fruition.

In 2025, the PCC reconnected with CLS Electrical Services, bringing renewed enthusiasm and the exciting news that the project was ready to proceed. With this came a few refinements to the original design, including the addition of two RGBW colour-changing fittings within the Chancel—offering flexibility for special services and events.

CLS responded by producing a faculty-ready lighting specification, supporting the church’s formal application process. Their quotation was also carefully updated to reflect changes in material and installation costs over the intervening years, ensuring full transparency from the outset.

Work on site began with the careful removal of the existing lighting system. The previous installation comprised a mixture of tungsten halogen and high-powered sodium lamps—an inefficient and poorly designed setup that delivered inadequate light levels and lacked any form of feature illumination. All redundant cabling was meticulously stripped out, preparing the church for a complete transformation.

At the heart of the new system is a sophisticated control solution using Mode eDin+ modules, enabling both DALI and DMX control. Lighting scenes are easily selected via a discreet 7-inch touchscreen located in the Vestry, providing intuitive control for different services and events.

New FP200 cabling was installed throughout, routed with great care and painted where necessary to blend seamlessly with the church’s fabric. The result is a clean, unobtrusive installation that respects the building’s historic integrity.

The lighting itself is delivered by Illuma Concepta DALI fittings—high-performance architectural luminaires providing a warm 3000K output at 3500 lumens, with a nominal 35W power rating. Thanks to the flexibility of the DALI system, fittings can be grouped and dimmed to suit specific scenes, meaning they rarely operate at full output and deliver impressive energy efficiency in practice.

A particularly thoughtful feature of the installation is the integration of a discreet PIR sensor in the South Aisle. When visitors enter, a pre-programmed “visitor scene” gently illuminates key features throughout the church, enhancing the experience while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere. After a set period, the lighting fades, conserving energy until the space is occupied again.

Despite the scale of the works, the three-week installation was carried out with the church remaining open to the public. Visitors were not only accommodated but welcomed—often engaging with the team and showing great interest in the transformation taking place around them.

The result is a lighting scheme that is both practical and inspiring—supporting the church’s day-to-day needs while elevating its architectural beauty. The PCC has expressed its delight with the finished project, marking a successful collaboration built on trust, expertise and shared vision.

Looking ahead, CLS Electrical Services is continuing discussions with the church around further enhancements, including external lighting and the potential installation of solar PV and battery storage systems. These future plans aim to address the ongoing challenge of energy costs, particularly in relation to the building’s heating system.

For CLS Electrical Services, the project at St Peter & St Paul’s Church stands as a testament to what can be achieved when modern technology is thoughtfully integrated into historic spaces—delivering not just light, but lasting impact.