Work Needed

We need to raise £100,000 to fix the tower

The next urgent project is to replace the Tower lead roof and alter the poorly designed drainage. Water ingress has allowed beetle infestation and rot of timbers beneath the roof. The project design has been done, a Faculty obtained (C of E planning permission), and tenders obtained. Total cost including professional fees will be about £100,000. All that is needed is funding.

Since 2000, about £725,000 has been spent repairing our 800 year old landmark building. According to the latest architect’s report about £330,000’s worth of work still needs to be done.

The recent project to repair the Victorian glass and Tudor stonework nave clerestory windows was completed just before Christmas 2021 at a cost of £125,000 net of VAT. Opportunity was taken to do structural repairs to the roof, improve roof drainage and decorate the top level of the nave.

Estimates from the Quinquennial, net of recoverable VAT and including professional fees

£100,000 - Tower roof repairs

Plaster repair and redecorate

£108,600 - whole church

£23,000 - South transept roof

£7475 - Nave and transept gutters   

£10,545 - Walls maintenance - external

£22,425 - Wall repairs - internal 

£8,625 - Chancel Damp work

£20,010 - Belfry

£450 - Gutters and drainage

£3,392 - Tower rainwater goods

£14,834 - Other windows 

£3,105 - Monuments and tombs

£1,380 - South porch

£6,159 - Other items - approx

Grand Total          £330,000

Work Completed

In 2011 a project development phase for the chancel roof, stair repair and masonry work was undertaken. This forms the basis for the tenders. This also enabled us to obtain English Heritage consent and a Faculty (a permission from the Church of England, similar to a local authority listed building consent). This phase cost £28,300 and was funded by English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Friends and the PCC.

It involved work by the church architect Helen Axworthy, a structural engineer, a quantity surveyor and bat experts on behalf of English Nature. Surveys were produced using rectified photography and laser measuring and a close visual inspection of the roof and high level masonry. These were used to produce documents, specifications and drawings from which builders were invited to tender

The work was carried out between February and August 2013 and included repairs to:

• Lead chancel roof and internal roof structure

• Chancel parapet walls and gutters

• The vestry (chimney rebuilt and the vestry re-roofed)

• Stair to first floor porch was rebuilt

• South aisle buttress - masonry repairs

• North transept gable - masonry repairs

The lead was removed, melted down, recast and brought back. Beetle infestation and rot treated, masonry and ancient bricks repaired or replaced, the design of the chancel roof improved….and other conservation work carried out. Insulation was installed in the vestry and chancel roofs

The cost of the work phase was £195,600. This brought the total project cost to £224,000

Additional to the main project was the replacement of the churchyards gates. The one existing gate was repaired and new gates and ironwork made to replicate the previous ones. This was completed in December 2013

We are very pleased to have received funding from:

The Allchurches Trust, Church Buildings Council/Wolfson Foundation, English Heritage/ The Heritage Lottery Fund, Essex Environment Trust, Friends of Essex Churches, Garfield Weston, The Idlewild Trust, Newport Parish Council/New Homes Bonus, The Manifold Charitable Trust and Viridor