We are delighted to be able to announce that our long-running project to re-shingle our 160 feet spire is at last finished. Our church tower and spire are separate from the church, although a similar date. The oak shingles need replacing about every eighty years and this time, when the old ones were removed, extensive problems were uncovered in the timber work of the fourteenth century structure. The local community watched the scaffolding go up, but when it came down the first time, the spire was clad not in oak, but in black plastic as we ran out of money to finish the work. Eventually the scaffolding went up again and, this time, the job was finished and it now stands weathertight and replete with a new weathervane. It was hard to raise the money needed and we are very relieved that the historic building is now safe again.We were fortunate to obtain grants from the HLF, the National Churches Trust, the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust, the Headley Trust, the Allchurches Trust and the Garfield Weston Foundation. We are extremely grateful for their support.
