All Saints for All Generations project
We thank everyone who has and continues supporting this project, including Lottery Players though the National Lottery Heritage Fund.March 2022
Thanks to You, Lottery Players
Our public events in 2022 start with guided tours (and a cuppa and cake) on Satuday March 26th to say thank you to lottery players. Tours must be booked on Eventbrite.
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Sept 2021
Behind the Scaffolding
It's gone! So we have all our church back in use rather than just half of it.
You can see what went on Behind the Scaffolding in these 2 videos on the repairs
Stonework (21 mins) https://youtu.be/LdjT-3p97aw
Stained Glass (13 mins) https://youtu.be/Ve4ES8GbJ0M
May 2021
How to rebuild a buttress
Click the document at the bottom of this page to see how it's done
January 2021 Behind the Scaffold
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December 2020
Goodbye and Hello
The tower scaffold goes and the first 2 windows are returned - showing the great progress with the repairs in the first 6 months, though there is still a way to go.
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Out with the old in with the new
Click the document at the bottom of this page to find out about the window stonework repairs.
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1 November 2020
Ladbroke Church Bats
Watch a short video about our bats on the Ladbroke Heritage Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1257911247914515
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26th September 2020
Good for hundreds more years
The Stonemason's have been making good progress on the tower. To read all about the parapet stones click on the document at the bottom of this page.
12th July 2020
Time flies !
Well it was a rather more controlled descent than that as you can see in the pictures in the gallery. Dave from Smiths of Derby clockmakers came and took the clockface off the south face of the tower. It was then carefully winched down to ground level, giving the stonemasons full access to the crumbling stone behind.
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The repairs have started
The tower is now encased in scaffolding , the organ wrapped against dust and the stonemasons have started chipping off loose stone. Our ecologist has installed 3 bat boxes in the trees as we know at least one pipistrelle roosts in a crevice in the tower buttress that will be filled as part of the repairs .
The clock face will be removed on 9th July. It's all happening!
5 May 2020
Green Light for the project thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund
All Saints Church, in the tiny village of Ladbroke, Warwickshire, has been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £339,000 for its exciting heritage project, All Saints for All Generations. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, repairs to the building and a three year programme to share Ladbroke's heritage should start this year.
The project, made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, other donors and fantastic village support, will stabilise the tower, walls and windows of this wonderful building, conserving it for future generations. Through activities for young and old, the fit and the frail, people of all faiths or none, the past will be better understood, the present improved and the future enhanced.
With many different opportunities to be involved in activities either as volunteers or participants, people will discover more about our built and natural environment, the rich history of Ladbroke and some of the colourful characters in its past. Unusually for a church project, the thrust of its educational programme will be to inspire children in STEM* subjects, with roll out of the resources to other churches.
When the village of Ladbroke was listed in the Domesday Book it had two priests and a population of around 250. Today there are still less than 300 people living in the parish and Christians still worship at its church, normally every Sunday. All Saints Church is a 700 years old, Grade 1 listed building on the Heritage at Risk register. It has an unusual striped tower, fine stained glass and an interior designed by the famous Victorian architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, better known for the front of St Pancras Station.
Ladbroke is a place steeped in history, from a hoard of long buried Roman coins to an infamous owner in the 16th century, Robert Catesby, ringleader of the Gunpowder plot. It housed prisoners of war in both WWI and WW2 and soon HS2 will be coming through the parish. It is rich in wildlife too; there are even bats living at the church though not bats in the belfry, that would be too noisy for them when the All Saints' bell ringers are in action!
* Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths
Commenting on the award, project leader, Jackie West, said: “We are thrilled to have received this further support thanks to National Lottery players. Critical though the repairs are, it's the activities that excite us. Many people do not venture into churches, thinking they are not for me, but this project will show that our church and our heritage are multi-faceted and everyone is welcome to enjoy and be inspired by them.”
On hearing the news, Assistant Minister, Rev Ann Mulley said, “I'm absolutely delighted that Ladbroke Church have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This wonderful building and important part of our national heritage has been a place of sanctuary and the centre of community and of prayer for the village for many thousands of people over the centuries. It’s a great joy that this special place can continue to inspire people in the years to come and to speak of God's love and peace and grace to all”.
Anne Jenkins, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery Players, we are delighted to award All Saints Church with a grant that not only carries out urgent repairs to this beautiful historic building but will engage the whole local community and beyond in fascinating activities that will truly widen the range of people who are able to engage with their heritage”
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
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13 Nov 2019
Our stage 2 grant application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been submitted
Many thanks to Acanthus Clews Architects and all the professionals who have helped us define and cost the works:
Sumo Aerial Surveys - photogrammetric survey,
Building Conservation Solutions - rope access stone survey of tower,
Midland Surveys - CCTV of drains & topographical surveys
Ridgeway Ecology - bat surveys
Chapel Studios - window condition survey
Beechwood Trees & Ladscapes - arboricultural report
Andrew Bird Associates - quantity surveyor
understand the drain situation,
help investigate options, run pilots and define an activity plan worthy of the grant we are requesting
create and proof read documents
raise our financial contribution to the project (more £ always welcome!)
and provided prayer and moral support.
A great team effort, let's hope our application is successful, we should hear in March/April 2020.
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30 Oct 2019
What a lot of work has happened in the last 15 months and so many donations too!!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, talents and money to the project so far.
Many surveys and much consideration led up to the specification, and we now have almost all the approvals we need. Tenders are just back for the main contractor, once they are checked we'll be able to predict how much Stage 2 grant we need to request from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and whether the funds raised and donated so far will be enough for our partnership contribution.
In parallel, on the activity side there has been much investigation, consultation and debate leading to an ambitious but achievable plan of ways to enagage people with the heritage of Ladbroke church, its people and its setting.
We are now working through the paperwork and form filling for the stage 2 application. Then there will be a few months wait to hear if we are successful and will be able to start the work. We do hope so, as the stonework continues to be a worry - you may have noticed that we've had to remove much of the decorative arch over the porch doorway for safety reasons.
19 Feb 2019
Good progress
We are making good progress defining the repairs and developing the activities. Find out more at the meeting on Tuesday 12th March.
24th August 2018
All Saints for All Generations Project wins National Lottery support
All Saints Church, Ladbroke has received initial National Lottery support for its All Saints for All Generations project it was announced today. Made possible by National Lottery players, the project aims to make essential repairs to the building and enable people to find out about, share and enjoy its heritage.
Development funding of £47,000 has been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help Ladbroke Church progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date.
Ladbroke Church, with it’s unusual striped tower, Gilbert Scott interior and fine stained glass is the historical, architectural, spiritual and community focal point of a small rural parish in Warwickshire, whose population today of less than 300 is similar to that in the Domesday book. There has been Christian worship in the current building since the 13th century.
The repairs will stabilise the tower, walls and windows, conserving building for future generations and broadening its use will help to ensure its future conservation. A wide range of activities, including dementia friendly experiences, to be developed and run by volunteers, will allow local people and visitors to discover more about this unique building, its people and its setting.
Commenting on the award The Rev'd Craig Groocock, Priest in Charge said: “Ladbroke Church is a local treasure and has been a spiritual home for thousands of people over the centuries. It is my desire that our wonderful building continues to be a special place for people today and that it speaks of God's grace and love to all who enter in”.
Jackie West from the PCC said: “We are delighted that we’ve received this support from National Lottery players to help us start making Ladbroke Church’s All Saints for All Generations project a reality. It’s not just about repairing the ravages of time on the building, essential though that it is, but also sharing our heritage with people of all ages. We are especially keen to use it to brighten the lives of people who feel isolated or excluded due to their own condition or caring responsibilities.”