You may remember from a magazine article early in the year that inspection had shown the need for reroofing of the south slope to the Nave and Chancel of our church. An additional inspection by a steeplejack suggested that replacement of the cedar and oak shingles surrounding the bell tower is also due.
That was the bad news.
The good news is twofold.
First, the required work has been fully scoped and costed, a bat survey carried out, and a quotation from Allsworth Roofing Ltd has been accepted. Scaffolding will be erected, mostly ‘behind’ the church on the south side, late in September, and work on the roof itself will start in October. The aim, subject to weather and the possibility of unexpected but essential additional work, is to complete the job and remove the scaffolding before Christmas. Services in St Mary’s through the autumn will not be affected.
Second, the major fraction (i.e. £55,000) of the cost is being covered by a generous grant from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, for which we are very grateful. Most of the rest will be funded by the parish, although (as a normal part of the process) there will be an application for a ‘top-up’ sum to cover increases in costs that have occurred over the last year.
Once complete, it is expected that the church roof should be in a sound condition for many years (several decades?) to come.
The project works are to:-
Re-roof South slope to Nave and Chancel
Re-shingle Tower
Repoint cover flashings
Repair other defective tiling
Remove moss from roof slopes
Richard Eldridge, Mike Cole and Colin Hunt.
September 2017