In 1536, Waverley Abbey was dissolved and the manor passed into secular ownership. St Bartholomew's Church was in regular use until at least 1675. By 1794, as leaseholder, the Quaker Morris Birkbeck was farming an estate of 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) at Wanborough, where he joined others in England and France who were experimenting with crossbreeding Merino sheep and innovating with modern techniques. He used the church as a wood store and barn. The church's architectural importance is reflected in its Grade I listing.