Building Project

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November 5th, A Momentous Day

Today our new bell was hoisted by crane into the new bell tower and rung for the first time.   I say ‘new bell’ but in fact it is made from melting down the metal of the previous bell which was too large and used to make one the exact right size.   We will even get a credit for the metal that was unused.

The bell is now rung electrically from the vestry – no climbing up or pulling a bell rope!

Progress End October

The weather proved to be more of a challenge with wind and rain – making progress on the exterior work more difficult. At this stage it is difficult to estimate the likely completion date, but it is unlikely to be before Easter 2027.

However, work inside continues apace and it is very exciting to watch the progress as the oak panels are fitted to the church roof. These panels are being fitted in the same style as the original and are finished in light oak.
The electricians are working flat out on “first fix”. The main hall on the ground floor has now been plaster boarded and is awaiting a finishing coat.
Progress on the outside work is slower and the schedule is that the newly cast bell will be installed in the bellcote on 4th November (subject of course to the weather).
Once this work is completed, the scaffold at the east end of the building will be removed and the remainder of the roof tiling will be finished. The building will then be fully watertight.
Work has started to repoint the west end wall and once that is completed the scaffolding at the west end will be removed so that work can begin on the construction of the new entrance lobby. All the west and south side facing brickwork is being repointed.
Tony Eden

Progress End September

Work continues apace with the rebuilding. Work is nearing completion on the bellcote at the East end of the Church and the newly recast bell will be installed during October. It will be rung using an electrical mechanism, the switching of which will be housed in the Vestry.

All the rooms on the first floor have now been created and we have been surprised at the generous size of the Upper meeting room. In addition, there is a reasonable storage space which runs from the rear of the parish office through to the Upper room. Although this storage area is built into the sloping roof, it has been designed so that it is a walk in storage space. In addition there is further storage space at the end of the Upper Room. As we all know storage is always at a premium and our church is no different.

The fitting out of the Office, toilets, the kitchenette and the Upper Room will start during October. Downstairs, the tongue and groove oak panels have arrived for the church ceiling so that the ceiling of the church will look muchthe same as the original, only this time it will be finished in light oak. The ceiling of the hall is being panelled ready for plastering.It is a very exciting time to see the progress that is being made.

The Rebuild Team – Tony, Paul C, Paul S, Sally, Peter

Progress end August

Last month we reported on the planned roof work for both the church and the hall. The church and hall roof have now been made watertight, just in time for the first rain for six weeks. The roof tiling work is scheduled to start on Tuesday 2nd September. Insulation material is currently being installed throughout the building which will help to make the church, in particular, warmer in winter.

Work is continuing to rebuild the east end and the build up for the bellcote. A new bell is being recast from the bell that used to hang above the west end hall entrance. The date on this bell was 1969.The bell is being recast to make it smaller and to fit into the original size of the bellcote. It will be rung using an electrical mechanism. 4

Work on the main hall is progressing satisfactorily and the old plaster has been removed ready for replastering in due course. The ceiling in the hall will be plain and not decorated as it was before. The Vestry will retain the same cupboard space and there is hanging space for robes, altar frontals and other church and communion items. Mary has been to see the vestry and is satisfied that there is sufficient space for all the church necessities to be stored.

Tony Eden

Progess Report early July

Rebuild progress report July 2026 Good progress with the Church rebuild has been made during June. The hall roof structure is now complete with the steel work and timbers in place. The hall roof is now ready to receive the roof cladding and roofing work on the hall will take place during July. The oak beams for the church roof arrived on Tuesday 16th June and construction work took place for the next eight days. Once each beam had been prepared, a massive crane lifted each of the seven beams into position. Each beam was then bolted to the wall. Work will continue in July to prepare the roof to take the roof tiles. These church roof tiles will match the original. Work also continues on the ground floor, preparing the cupboard spaces and the area where the lift will go. The next phase of the work will be to remove the support scaffolding at the west end of the church so that construction work on the new entrance lobby can begin. Randell Construction is confident that work is once again on schedule and they hope to have both the hall and the church weathertight by September.

Progress Report May 1

The steel structure above the hall and kitchen area is now being erected as shown in the image.   Work was slowed down by high winds earlier in the week but as you can see it is well advance.   One can start to see the framework creating the shape that we saw much earier in the architects model.

Progress Report 2 Jan 27

In spite of challenging weather conditions during January, steady progress has been made with the church rebuilding. The “tolling” bell has been removed and returned to the foundry where it will be melted down and recast. It will eventually be hung at the east end of the church, replacing the bell that was badly damaged in the fire. The bell tower has now been taken down in readiness for the construction of the new entrance to the church. Demolition work continues in preparation for the new entrance and layout to the hall. The whole building is now protected with 3 metre high corrugated sheeting to make the building as safe as possible while the work continues.