At Ingrid and Nigel’s lovely garden party on Wednesday, people were asking about the future plans for the rear church roof. Villagers may be interested to know that the church architect, Marcus Chantry, visited All Saints’ on Monday 2nd June to carry out the Quinquennial Inspection. We are required by the Church of England to have this inspection every five years, to ensure that our historic (Grade 1 listed) church is being kept in good order. The architect also highlights any problems which need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Mr Chantry was very upbeat about the condition of our parish church and said several times that we are in much better order than many others. Several of the issues the PCC was concerned about he didn’t feel were particularly important at the present time. He said that we should keep a watching brief on the rear slate roof, carrying out running repairs by replacing the slipping slates when necessary, which is what we have been doing. The deterioration of the roof becomes a higher priority when the battens start to slip and the roof begins to ‘ripple’ – that hasn’t happened yet. Which gives us more time to continue our fundraising.
Water staining is a problem at both ends of the church and in the ringing chamber. Even a new carpet and a small makeover can’t disguise the damp staining and mould that have become evident in the window recess. Also, within the church itself, it’s likely that the side gable end and some coping stones need attention. We’ve also lost two slates on the hidden side of the front roof. So our next project will be to get these smaller jobs sorted to keep the church dry – rain is not the friend of old churches. Some external funds are available from various sources for maintenance work like this and we will hope to access some of these.
The plan for the major roof repair is to continue raising funds until we have a decent sum in hand and can look for matched funding. The work hasn’t been costed yet, simply because we are still a long way from getting the job done – but it will be tens of thousands, mainly because it will have to be done in sections, with woodworm treatment, and this will take a fair amount of time. We have made an excellent start with our fundraising and have about £6,000 in the roof fund, thanks to the generosity and support of the village. That money is exclusively for our roof repair and won’t be diverted elsewhere.
I hope this answers some of the questions people have raised? The PCC should receive the architect’s report by the end of June and we will then have more information and a better idea of what needs immediate attention.
Thank you all for your interest and support in All Saints’ care and maintenance. Onwards and upwards!
Amanda
Wootton Courtenay 