We thought you would be interested in following our repair work that is going on on the exterior of the chancel area.

The work is to make the chancel area watertight. Refurbish the bell flèche and make the stonework sound.

The scaffolding is up and it’s high. I was amazed just how much the scaffolding cost, £11,000. The bells came down on Friday. Originally it was intended that they would be restored and go back up, but we have bats so surveys and licences had to be obtained. The bats cost £4,000 so the money for the bells has been spent on our bats. The bells have gone into storage at Taylor Bell foundry. Whilst the workmen were removing tiles, they found a long eared brown bat, who was encouraged to gain its freedom. The ecologist ensured everything was done correctly. 

Things look different from on high and we have now found the apex stone is split. And the lean on the bell flèche is of concern. Having done the maths, it appears that the bell flèche is safe and not going to fall down anytime soon. The apex stone can be repaired and pinned, so fortunately the expense of having a new one is not of immediate concern. The interim faculty has been granted to get the work done. 

The roof aspect that overlooks Trentfield Lane has taken a battering  from the weather over the years. To such an extent that many of the slate tiles, have crumbled as they have been disturbed. We now need about 50 new tiles, all shapes and sizes. This amounts to about £4000 of expenditure which we had not catered for. 

We are launching an appeal to purchase a roof tile to get the project completed. Tiles range from £250, for the large meter square ones, down to £30 for the small ones. If you would like to sponsor a tile you can do a direct transfer into the bank account. St James' Salt with St Peter’s Hopton, sort code     30-90-89 account number    38020260.  Then email saltandhoptonchurches @gmail.com with your name, so we can include you in our acknowledgment of support.  Thank you.

10.12.25So much has happened in the last couple of weeks.The response to the slate appeal has been amazing and the PCC thank all of you who have been so generous and supportive. We achieved our target and if you walk passed and look up to the bell cote, they look great. A good match and so far watertight. The workmen then got on with re pointing the stonework around the bells and chancel area. The apex stone has been pinned and sealed. This allowed the lightening conductor has been secured to the apex stone. A copper rod replaces the original finial and we finally have a lightening conductor that has passed the test. We are legal once again. The scaffolding is slowly coming down and is now below roof level. It took a week to put up and is slowly coming down. The final invoices are coming in and with the generosity of Salt Parish Council, grants from organisations and the donations from congregation and villagers we still have a bit of money in the bank. If you pop into church there are drawings and photographs on a display at the back of the church. The paperwork needs to be completed, and sent back to the organisations that have given us grants.
What’s next. Well the outside looks better and is hopefully watertight. Now we need to sort out the internal damage that has been caused by the long term leaks. The chancel wall containing the stain glass rose window needs painting. Of course it’s not your everyday Dulux that can be used. We need a special paint to use on the stone and the lime based plaster. The stone needs to breathe. The chancel carpet is rotten around the altar and needs replacing. There may be some plastering to be done , where it has been damaged from the leaking roof. Life is not dull and there is always something more to be done. What have I learnt from the journey of identifying the work that needed doing and what we have completed. It’s a team effort, the paperwork, the hoops you need to jump through. Applying for grants and the restrictions placed on you. Keeping the community informed and not being frightened to ask for their help. Fund raising and having the long term view. It’s taken us nearly three years from start to where we are now. Hopefully I can have the loose ends tied up by the New Year. Most of all it’s believing that it’s Gods wish that we keep his church in a good state of repair, listening to others and using their ideas and professional services. Thanks you for everything and anything you have helped us with. This is your church, it belongs to the community and is the heart and soul of our village. God Bless 

More news next week.