St Michael’s Church Roof

Urgent repairs are being made to St Michael’s Church this summer.
The work involves replacing the roofs to the chancel, nave, north aisle, porch and vestry together with repairs to the chimney stack above the vestry. Failing brickwork, which has led to rainwater penetrating the walls and causing damp patches, will also be repaired.
Work will begin with the erection of scaffolding on Monday 10 June and is expected to take 16–20 weeks to complete. The roofs to the north (porch) side of the church will be completed first, with the aim that the entrance will be clear of scaffolding for an August wedding.
The poor condition of the roofs was identified in the Quinquennial Report – a five-yearly inspection undertaken by the church architect – at the end of last year. The report said areas of the roof were sagging and cited slipped, broken and missing tiles. The roof to the nave was last replaced in 1894, but it is thought the roofs to the chancel, north aisle and vestry date back to the early 1880s.
The Fabric Committee is responsible for maintaining and preserving the structure and contents of the church. The committee chair, Martin Allen said: “While the roofs are being replaced we are taking the opportunity to add insulation, which will hopefully retain heat within the building and reduce the heating costs.”
The contract for the work has been won by Mogford Prescott Ltd, who also undertook the major repairs to the church tower last year.