About

our story

Co-Founded by Norman Routledge, Michele Midwinter, Roseanna Anderson & Joshua Ben-Tovim.

From the ashes of disaster and 20 years of neglect and a catastrophic fire, we have given new life to an iconic building which holds so many memories to various people in the area.

The design within, is sympathetic to the roots of the building - We tried our best to maintain the origins of the venue, being sure not to ignore the experiences this iconic building has lived through.

At times is was hard to keep going. Built in covid with a small team, with personal challenges, and building costs rising. No grants have been given. This building & the event business has been created with sheer blood, sweat & tears.

IMPERMANENCE to host a programme of cutting edge dance productions and THE MOUNT WITHOUT events to initiate a venue which steers away from the corporate and support local, this includes the likes of artists and businesses, from music & holistic events alongside various catering groups such as Bianchis & Queen & Whippet.

We ask users to consider their carbon footprint & use suppliers within the Christmas Steps Art Quarter, hoping to build a sense of community from a historical venue which has stood the test of time. 

Brief history of:

Saint Michael the Archangel on the Mount Without

 “The Mount Without”

It is likely that the first church was built on this site in 1147 by Robert Fitzhamon, who also built Tewkesbury Abbey. It was named “the Mount without”, because it was originally outside the City walls

The church was rebuilt in 1460 and the clock tower is from that period

When more and more merchants/residents moved up Saint Michael’s hill, the church became too small and the main body of the church was demolished and rebuilt in 1775 -1777 by Thomas Paty, a local builder. A whole new set of graves was created in the crypt, with tombstones from the previous “residents” used as “under slabs” for the new graves.

During the Second World War, the church was damaged twice. Once in 1940 when a 1000lb bomb fell within feet of the church, and again in 1941 when an incendiary device set fire to the roof.  It was when that was repaired some years later that the steel trusses and purlins were fitted, together with the red tiles 

The six bells were recast in 1664 and again in 1739. They have been rung by the University student bell ringers since 1947, a tradition that continues to this day.

The church was last used in 1999, when the congregation dwindled to being too small, and the diocese tried to find a new use for it (this include myself, but I was trumped in 2010 by a church group who tried to raise funds to do something with it!)

In October 2016, squatters set fire to the building, which caused a spectacular blaze and took many fire fighters to put out

The Diocese then asked for design bids to reclaim the building in late 2017. Our bid came second, but, after the winning bidder handed back the keys a year and a half later, it was third time lucky for me and we jumped at the chance to save this great church.

- Norman Routledge

Click here for more information about the restoration of The Mount Without