Wherwell Church Restoration Project - Phase 1

The contractors moved on site in March 2011 to start Phase 1 and working within the limitations imposed by Natural England because of the resident bats (eight species in all!). The roof, tower and spire have been stripped of the peg and nib tiles and cedar shingles respectively.

 

Working with the contractor and advising particularly on the shingling is Peter Harknett, who, at 76 years of age, is the oldest working steeplejack in the country. Like his father before him, he has spent a lifetime keeping the ancient craft of shingling alive. The replacement shingles have been hand-cleft in Germany to Peter’s specification. These will be interlaced with stainless steel providing a triple lap over the tower and spire surfaces, affording the necessary protection against woodpeckers in particular. The untreated oak will quickly weather to a silver grey.

 

 

Completed Scaffolding

 

Funding is in place for this first phase which is going to cost circa £350,000. Of this, in excess of £150,000 has been provided by English Heritage.

 

 

A number of other charities and trusts have provided funding as has the PCC. Contributions from within the local community itself have, by July 2011, generated £60,000; including a generous contribution from the descendents of Iremonger family who still maintain a family Mausoleum within the cemetery.

 

 

There is more information about the Iremonger Mausoleum

on the Mausolea & Monuments Trust website >>

 

 

 

 

The Church has five bells, four of which were cast in 1707 by Master-founders William and Rob Cor of Aldbourne, Wiltshire.

 

As part of Phase 1, the bells that have in the main been silent for a number of years due to structural concerns over the spire, tower and bell frame are to be resurrected - initially for chiming only.

 

An Ellacombe chiming apparatus, supplied by the world famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry, enables one person to chime all five bells. The long-term goal (Phase 3) is to return to full-circle ringing using the existing bell frame, but this is not possible until  strengthening of the spire and bell frame has been completed.

 

 

 

J R Jerrams rubbings of the bell inscriptions (courtesy of the Bodleian Library, Oxford) 

  

 

By Christmas 2011, the Parish Church will be back to holding regular services, and quoting from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the ancient bells as ‘the voice of the church’ should once again be heard along the River Test valley.

 

If anyone wishes to contribute to this important restoration project  please download the brochure and set of donor forms shown below, or alternatively contact Mrs. Anna Lipa, Churchwarden, through the Downs Benefice Office:

 

telephone:     01962 880845 or

email:           office@downsbenefice.org.uk

 

Restoration Brochure Four-page brochure describing in detail the complete restoration project More »

Set of Donor Forms Full set of forms, including Bankers Order and Gift Aid Declaration More »

More »