Back in February when we announced that St Mary’s, Wirksworth had been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant for urgent repairs to the nave roof, few of us imagined the country would be spending spring in lock down.There’s lots been going on behind the scenes to reschedule the work, along with events and tours we had planned. We’ve brought forward the filming of a ‘virtual tower tour’ and have commissioned local film maker Gavin Repton to make the film, with poet Mark Gwyn Jones as your tour guide.We also got the all clear from the ecologists, who checked that we wouldn’t be disturbing any nesting or roosting bats. Although none were living in the church, the ecologists spotted pipistrelles commuting through the churchyard on their way to feeding sites, a few even foraged in the churchyard itself.Changes to government guidance mean that the scaffolders and builders have started preparing the site for the vital repair work to take place. With Wirksworth’s regular community photographer Phil Richards keeping his distance for the time being, Kath Gill has accepted our request to help us document the process. It's Kath's photo accompanying this story, and we look forward to sharing more of her pictures with you.
St Mary’s Church, Wirksworth will be making essential roof repairs this Spring, thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £120,000. Alongside the repairs, people will be given the chance to find out about the work, tour the tower and try their hand at heritage crafts found in the church.The Grade I listed church was put on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register in 2019, because of the ‘poor’ condition of the roof. St Mary’s sits at the heart of the historic market town and is an important part of its identity. It’s also the first point of call for many visitors, so a new exhibition will help people understand more about St Mary’s unique heritage and connections to the town’s lead mining history.With the town’s main annual celebrations stemming from the church traditions of Well Dressing and Clypping, the project will encourage the wider community to connect with the church’s heritage. More repair work will be needed in future to make sure St Mary’s is no longer ‘at risk’, so building the support of the whole town will be vital.Commenting on the award, the rector, Canon David Truby said:“We are delighted to have received support from National Lottery players for this important project, which will restore the nave roof for generations to come. We also want to make the wonderful heritage of St Mary’s more accessible to the wider community and visitors alike.” Anne Jenkins, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, added:“Thanks to National Lottery Players, we are delighted to award St Mary's Church, Wirksworth with a grant that not only carries out urgent repairs, but will also welcome new visitors, meaning this important heritage will resonate with the community for years to come.”
