The Cornish churches that could end up on your Christmas card

Snow on a church tower. Frost on an old porch. Winter light catching a stained-glass window. The kind of scene that has always belonged on the front of a Christmas card is now the subject of a countywide hunt, and anyone with a camera is invited to join in.

A first for the Trust

The Cornwall Historic Churches Trust has launched its first Christmas Card Photography Competition, a new countywide initiative celebrating the beauty and heritage of Cornwall’s churches.

A selection of the winning images will be turned into Christmas cards, printed and sold right here in Cornwall, with the proceeds going towards the Trust’s work conserving these historic buildings for the generations that follow. Winners will be credited on the back of the printed card.

What the judges are looking for

Photographers of all abilities, from anywhere in the world, can enter. The Trust is asking for images of a Cornish church, or of a single element within or upon one, such as a window, a font, a tower or a porch, that capture the character and heritage of these buildings and carry a sense of winter or the Christmas season. That feeling can come through snow, frost, winter light, seasonal decoration or simply atmosphere.

Cecilia Bisson, Chairman of the Cornwall Historic Churches Trust, said: “This competition is about celebrating our heritage. We know that fewer people send Christmas cards than they once did, yet there remains a real demand for cards that celebrate Cornwall, are made here in the county. These churches are part of the fabric of Cornish life, and I am delighted to help find the images that do them justice.”

Who is judging

The Trust has confirmed a three-strong judging panel for this year’s competition. It brings together Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho, Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, Louise Connell, Head of Programme at Tate St Ives, and Cecilia Bisson herself as Chair of the Cornwall Historic Churches Trust.

How to enter

Entries close at midnight on Tuesday 15 September 2026. Each photographer may submit up to two photographs. Because high-resolution image files tend to be large, entrants are asked to send their photographs through an online entry form, where full details of how to take part are also set out.

What happens next

The winning photographs will be announced in October 2026 and will feature in a limited print run of Christmas cards, produced entirely in Cornwall and sold online and at various locations across the county in support of the Trust’s conservation work. The winning images will also be showcased on the CHCT website.

Anyone taking part might also want to look at this year’s Ride, Stride and Sail, the Trust’s annual sponsored event on 12 and 13 September 2026, when supporters walk, cycle or sail between churches across Cornwall to raise money for their upkeep.

Full terms of the competition and everything else are on the Trust’s website. Entries close at midnight on 15 September.

📷St Just in Roseland church under snow, seen across a frozen creek through snow-covered branches