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Leaks in the roof at St Peter and St Paul Church, Market Overton in the Rutland Deanery, have been a common occurrence in recent years but thanks to the immeasurable work from churchwarden Martin Wintermeyer, Richard Gill and the PCC, and several successful grant applications, the roof is now watertight.
Six grants totaling £32,500 were successfully applied for and, along with additional money raised by local fundraising and PCC funds, the repairs to the roof were able to be carried out in their entirety earlier this year.
Scaffolding went up on 29 May, and by 2 July the roofing team had arrived, quickly transforming the churchyard and interior into a hive of activity. Early work was slowed by heavy rain, but progress was then very steady. Highlights included:
- Removing the old copper roof sheets (covered in bitumen and previously nailed down) which had caused water ingress and damage
- Over-boarding the roof with 25mm treated timber boards to allow secure fixings, as the existing thinner boards were insufficient and, in places, rotten.
- Replacing and repairing boards as required, adding an additional cost of around £3,000, plus extra stonemason work.
- Installing terne-coated stainless steel roof sheets with round batten caps.
- Fitting new aluminium guttering and fascia boards, with new downpipes and drainage.
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The result was a watertight north aisle roof and thanks to careful management of the project, the work came in under budget. This meant that a few extra issues were able to be rectified, namely a minor leak in the vestry roof and repairs to the porch and toilet roofs. Following the completion of the work bouts of heavy rain certainly put the new roof through its paces but we are pleased to say that St Peter and St Paul remains dry.
St Peter and St Pauls Church wish to thank the grant awarders: The Jack Patston Charitable Trust; Rutland Historic Churches Preservation Trust; Congregational and General Charitable Trust; Garfield Weston Foundation; Benefact Trust; Market Overton Parish Council, and also Jon Breckon for his advice on potential grants and Emily Elliot for steering the project through the Faculty process. Additional thanks go to the project architect, Adrian Ringrose of Stimpson Walton Bond and Darren, Lee and Paul from The Leadworks who did a fantastic job.
Grants are one of the key means of funding church building projects. They are available for a great variety of purposes, including repairs to the fabric of the building, specialist conservation work for bells or wall paintings, developing cultural, social and educational projects, or for alterations that will open up a church building for wider use.