Work begins at St Andrew’s Church, Walpole
St Andrew’s Church in the village of Walpole, Norfolk, is suffering the ravages of time. Built in the 15th century, it is a Grade I listed building and contains many features of architectural importance. Ongoing problems with the interior stonework have been made worse by lead thefts in 2011 and 2014, which have left the church with a temporary roof covering.
St Andrew’s, which is located on land historically subject to sea flooding, also has an unusual problem, that has only been seen in a handful of churches. The combination of a high water table and a previous concrete floor (that has thankfully now been removed) meant that trapped water found its way up the columns of the nave and caused salt erosion as it evaporated. St Andrew’s is no stranger to problems caused by water as the current building was built on the footprint of an earlier church destroyed by floods.
CCT has been studying and monitoring the erosion in the church in recent years, however the theft of the roof lead has made the problem much worse, as it has increased humidity. Fixing the roof will help stabilise the internal conditions of the church before options to manage the symptoms of the salt erosion can be explored.
Work on the roof starts this week and is being carried out by Pikestaff Traditional Roofing, based in King’s Lynn. It is scheduled to complete in late 2017. CCT has been fortunate to receive a grant from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund for the larger part of this work.
However £10,000 is still needed to complete the repairs. To help reach this target, an enthusiastic new group of locals have been putting their heads together to come up with events and fundraising ideas. The next event is a fundraising concert with The Rock Choir, which will take place on 21st October at St Nicholas’ Chapel, King’s Lynn (which is also cared for by CCT). Find out more and how to book tickets here.
Local volunteer, Kamila Robinson says:
‘Having moved to the village in December, I learnt the story of how St Andrew’s was in need of urgent roof repairs. Although our neighbouring Church has regular services, I hate the thought of our lovely church becoming derelict, therefore it was my idea with other girls in the village to use the building for the community, so a coffee morning was organised raising money for the roof, then the latest Ukulele evening raising over £700. Once the roof repairs are finished, it is our intention to use the building regularly for the community. The feedback from the village is positive and I believe we can use this wonderful historic building for the community again.’
To donate or to find out more, about the project, please contact Simon Wiles, Community Fundraiser for CCT on: 01223 324442 / [email protected] or you can text ROOF02 to 70070 to donate £5
Find out more about St Andrew's Church, Walpole