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Lottery cash for 'crumbling' church
CHURCHGOERS in Seamer are celebrating after securing almost £200,000 of lottery funding to help preserve an historic 12th century place of worship.
It is part of a 2 million package, put together by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, to help towards urgent repair work at 16 crumbling churches across Yorkshire and the Humber.
The funding will help St Martin’s Church in Seamer get some much needed TLC to its ancient stonework, and the rotting leadwork on the nave, chancel and tower roofs will be replaced.
The Rev Laura McWilliams said it was fantastic news because the church, which has a growing congregation, could continue to serve the community.
She added: “It’s worth it because it is a beautiful building.
“We are blessed with having a place that glorifies God. The changes that we make will always be in keeping with the aura of the building.”
As well as repairs to the existing structure they are hoping to build a kitchen and toilets inside the Grade I listed building – at a total of almost 300,000, with 40,000 still to be raised.
The Rev Richard Firth, the assistant minister at the church, said they were confident of raising the remaining funds through a combination of other grants and it was hoped all of the work would be completed by June 2011.
He said: “The stone castellation on the roof is unstable and we’ve already had a piece fall off – if that continues we couldn’t use the building in 12 to 15 months’ time.”
Mr Firth added that all of the building projects would hopefully be carried out at the same time to cause the minimum disruption. “At the moment the interior of the church is in good condition, but water is starting to seep in and if it gets worse we’ll have a battle on our hands,” he said
“That’s why it’s so important we get this repair scheme under way, tackling the most urgently required work. St Martin’s is a wonderful church, full of history and memory and with an important role in the community.”
The grants have been awarded under the joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme, which since 2002 has invested 16 million in preserving the fabric of some of the region’s most historic religious buildings.
St Martin’s was built soon after the Norman Conquest and the oldest parts of the church have walls which are almost two and half foot thick because it was not just a place of prayer but also a refuge for villagers during troubled times.
Trevor Mitchell, English Heritage regional director for planning and development in the region, said: “This is a truly outstanding Norman church, which has stood as part of the community in Seamer for nearly 1,000 years. Yet like many other places of worship it faces a constant battle to keep on top of vital repairs.
“This grant will go some way to securing the future of St Martin’s, ensuring a wonderful landmark and centre of spirituality continues to inspire parishioners and passers-by.”
Fiona Spiers, the head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Our region is home to some of the country’s most important and precious places of worship, but sustaining them is always a big challenge.
“We are delighted, in partnership with English Heritage, to be able to offer grant support to 16 of these wonderful structures, helping to ensure that these magnificent buildings are safeguarded for the future.”
l You can view video of the church and the work that is needed at SEN TV on our website.
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
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