Update on Church Restoration Project

Stage l is now complete which means our church is water tight for the first time in years! This will ensure the building’s survival for future generations. We are now turning out attention to Stage ll which is to make sure that the church is sustainable in its own right. It needs basic amenities such as a lavatory and a kitchen so that it can serve not only as a house of worship but also as a community space for events such as concerts, choral works, art weeks, coffee mornings etc. To make it a more welcoming church we need to upgrade the lighting and heating as well as providing amenities.

Over the last couple of year we have made two exciting discoveries. The first our organ. The makers were the renowned company Hill & Son who not only supplied the organ to Eton college but also the original organ to Westminster Abbey. We had it inspected by Dr Nicholas Thistlethwaite who is the Hill & Son specialist in the UK who reported it was a very good example of its kind and that it should be restored to its full glory and be listed to secure its future. We also found we have a Turret Clock which dates from the early 17th Century. This was inspected by The Cumbrian Clock Company and to their surprise they found every single piece was there except the pendulum bob which would have been made from lead and can easily be replaced. These two are indeed treasures of our church and will greatly enhance services, events and visits to the church.

Updated 17th December 2025