Grants worth almost £60,000 have been awarded by the Norfolk Churches Trust to safeguard heritage places of worship. And four round tower churches have also received a total of £3,800 at its latest quarterly meeting.
St Michael’s Church, Stockton, near Beccles, was given £1,000 for repairs to a buttress, which indirectly supports the round tower. The north buttress, which has started to pull away, needs repair and re-pointing.
Two other round tower churches were helped including St Mary’s at West Somerton, near Yarmouth, which gets £2,000 towards major electrical works. After inspection of the electrical system, including the pew-based heating, which dates from the 1950s, it has been replaced.
St Nicholas, Bradwell, near Yarmouth, received £300 towards rainwater goods. A £500 grant to St Peter’s Church, Haveringland, near Norwich, for window repairs, was agreed.
A total of 14 grants have been made by the trust at its March meeting to fund urgent restoration work at churches across the county. The biggest award of £15,000 was made to St Mary’s Church, North Tuddenham, near Dereham, to help prevent possible collapse of the tower.
It awarded £10,000 to St Lawrence, Harpley, near King’s Lynn, to replace its porch roof, which will protect one of the country’s finest carved medieval doors. The total repair bill, including other works, stands at more than £87,000.
Other major awards include £5,000 for St Margaret’s Church, Kirstead, near Loddon, where the chancel roof needs urgent action.
Repairs to conserve a remarkable east chancel window at All Saints, Scottow, near Norwich, will cost £19,000. It awarded £7,000 towards the work. Gaps between the glass and stonework have allowed rain to enter, which is adding to the problems and the window remains in imminent danger of collapsing in a strong wind.
A post-war church in Norwich, St Francis, Heartsease, receives £4,000. It faces a repair bill of £11,500 for extra underpinning to the church and for insulation of a flat roof.
Others awards
St Mary’s, Narford, near Swaffham, £3,500 for repairs to the porch.