Two major grant awards have helped to bridge a major funding shortfall for re-thatching of a north Norfolk church.
The thatched roof at St Lawrence, Ingworth, near Aylsham, St Lawrence, needs urgent replacement and already water, which is coming through the porch, is started to damage the internal fabric.
The Friends of St Lawrence has now raised more than £32,000 towards the total cost of the re-thatching, which will cost almost £40,000. Ian Sims, of the Friends, said that a meeting will be held before Easter to plan the programme of repairs. “I’m over the moon and absolutely staggered by the latest grant awards. This has been a major boost to our fund-raising,” he added.
The Round Tower Churches Society, which has just celebrated its golden jubilee, awarded £5,000 and the Norfolk Churches Trust £10,000 towards the work. St Lawrence also received a legacy of £10,000 for the re-thatching, said Mr Sims.
At the Society’s quarterly committee meeting in March, it was agreed to offer a total of £9,000 for work to round tower churches. St Peter & Paul, Mautby, was given £1,000 towards electrical works, and £3,000 towards the £45,000 cost of conserving the east window and its prized glass at St Margaret, Herringfleet.
At the March quarterly meeting of the Norfolk Churches Trust, it awarded about £55,000 to a total of eight churches for repairs and conservation work.
Two grants of £10,000 were offered to St Mary, Erpingham and St Clement, Outwell. The round tower church of St Edmund, Taverham, received a £5,000 grant for conservation works while St Michael, Irstead was awarded £6,000 as was Walsingham’s Methodist chapel.
St Mary Magdalene, Pentney, which needs to raise more than £23,000 for repairs, was given £4,000 and All Saints, Scottow, received £3,400 for various urgently needed repairs.
Main image – Ingworth, photographed by David Faulkner in April 2020.