A historic Suffolk church is to receive thousands of pounds in funding for extensive repair work on its roof.
St Mary’s Church in Dallinghoo, which dates back to the 14th cebntury, is set to benefit from part of a £507,000 payout from The National Churches Trust to preserve the historic fabric of the Grade II listed building and make it watertight.
Huw Edwards, broadcaster, journalist and vice president of the trust, said: “I’m delighted that St Mary’s church in Dallinghoo is being helped with a £15,000 National Churches Trust Cornerstone Grant.
“The repairs to the roof will help secure the future of this much loved historic building.”
The funded work includes extensive repairs to the gutters, masonry, brickwork and windows of the church, while internal refurbishments will focus on the dangerous tower stair treads, timber windows, ceilings and pew platforms.
The grant is one of 59 which have been awarded to churches and chapels across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2020.
Charlotte Sullivan, church warden at St Mary’s, said: “Key members of our community have been fund raising for years to keep our church fabric sound.
“With this fantastic National Churches Trust grant we can now go ahead and get the much-needed repairs completed.”
The church, part of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, boasts a highly coloured window glass by acclaimed painter Albert Moore and the back of the Jacobean pulpit features an earlier panel with the arms of Catherine of Aragon.
Herringbone masonry shows the structure of the building dates back to early Norman times while the west and east arches date from 1300, or even earlier.
The tower is unusually at the east end of the church, after the connecting chancel collapsed.
Mr Edwards added: “The UK’s historic churches and chapels are a vital part of our national heritage and have done so much to support local people during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“But to survive, many need to carry out urgent repairs and install modern facilities.
“The cost of this work is far beyond what most congregations can pay for themselves.”
To date this year, The National Churches Trust has distributed over £1million in a total of 145 separate grants to chapels and churches across the UK.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here