Grants for Places of Worship Repairs
These substantial repairs involved recovering the north aisle roof, and considerable conservation works to the chancel. The origins of the project came about as the result of continual leaking of the north aisle gutter finally resulting in a huge fall of internal plaster. The PCC was very fortunate to obtain one of the last GPOW grants from the HLF, and enabled us to proceed with works over a two year period.
The works required the redesign of the north aisle parapet gutter, forming a new outlet through the parapet and downpipe at the west end; this overcame the significant design fault that arose as a result of when the Church Centre was built some forty years previously.
Damp was an issue throughout the church, and failing Victorian drainage was replaced with all new soakaways and gullies. The failing south porch roof was also recovered with new handmade clay tiles, as well as repairs to the vestry roof. New cast iron rainwater goods, to all elevations, replaced plastic ones.
Sensitive masonry repairs to the chancel, removing cement pointing with lime, followed by shelter coating will provide years of protection.
Internally, the north aisle was almost completely replastered having removed the remaining areas of cementitious plaster. We also did this to the lower levels of the tower and west end of the nave allowing moisture to travel through the fabric as it should; in this way we have helped to safeguard a C12 coffin lid set into the west wall of the tower.