Recent Renovation Projects at St Botolph’s

2022 Retiling of South Side Chancel Roof

In October 2020 it was noticed that a few tiles had slipped from the south side of the Chancel roof. The situation was monitored until the summer of 2021 when it was clear that repair work would be required. An investigation indicated the likely cause to be failed nails securing the tiles to the roof battens. By this time whole courses of tiles had slipped and the shape of the roof suggested that there might be more serious structural issues to be resolved. The church architect deemed the roof to be unsafe and the area was fenced off. Difficulties within the building industry meant that that work to strip and replace the roof did not start until June 2022 and the work was completed in October 2022.

The entire roof was stripped and new felt, battens and a mix of new and reclaimed plain clay tiles fitted. We were fortunate in that the roof structure was found to be sound and only minor timber repairs were required. The new roof has a pleasing mix of the new and reclaimed tiles and fits well with this Grade 1 building.

Total Cost:     £42,500
Contractor:    C.E.L Group (1989) Ltd
Architect:        Jeremy Lander

We are grateful to the following grantors without whom this work would not have been possible.

2019-20 Plaster Repairs Phase 2, Preparation for the Millennium Celebrations

It is probable that St Botolph is the Minster Church founded by King Cnut in 1020 for the fallen at the Battle of Assandun four years earlier when the Danish Army beat the Anglo-Saxons. The earlier work on the Nave had been such a success that it was decided to complete the renovation of the interior in preparation for the Church’s Millennium celebrations. The remaining areas, the South Transept, Tower and North Porch, had repairs, new plaster and new limewash. New aluminium rainwater goods were also installed.

Unfortunately Covid intervened and the Millennium programme moved online. 

Total Cost:     £28,000
Contractor:    Lodge & Sons Ltd
Architect:        Jeremy Lander, Freeland Rees Roberts

We are grateful to the following grantors without whom this work would not have been possible.

2019 Conservation of Medieval Wall Painting

During the work to strip the low level plaster in the Nave a blister on the south wall was removed to reveal a fragment of a medieval wall painting. The image is indecipherable but could be a halo around the head of a seated figure or a decorated consecration cross. An unusual feature is evenly spaced spurs around the perimeter of the ‘halo’.

Total Cost:     £4750
Conservator:   Tobit Curteis Associates 

We are grateful to the following grantors without whom this work would not have been possible.

2016-18 Plaster Repairs to Nave and North Transept, Replacement of Nave Ceiling and Miscellaneous Repairs

By 2016 the low level medieval plaster was in poor condition and the interior of the Church rather unwelcoming in its ambience. A major project was undertaken to strip and replace the plaster in the Nave and North Transept and decorate with new limewash. During this work the nave ceiling was found to be close to collapse and had to be replaced at considerable extra cost. Matthew Beasley of Gem Conservation applied a novel silicate and mineral patination to the bare concrete floor of the Nave giving a subtle colouring. The result is a great improvement.

A number of other essential repairs and improvements were also undertaken at the same time.

Total Cost:     £87,500
Main contractor: Lodge & Sons Ltd
Architect: Jeremy Lander, Freeland Rees Roberts
Conservation of stonework & Nave floor patination: Matthew Beasley (Gem Conservation)
Archaeological survey: Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd

The newly refurbished Nave before the replacement of the pews.

Over £70,000 of the cost was raised within the Village.

We are also grateful to the following grantors for their support.