~ Restoration ~
Of St. Peter's Church
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It is now seven years since we started a new bout of fund-raising and work on the fabric of this beautiful and old building. First fund-raiser event was on New Year’s Eve, 2007-08.
Restoration work completed
The following work was carried out, in this order:
- Tower walls re-pointed, and the Tower roof put in good condition (July 2009)
- Exterior of all windows repaired and painted
- Gutters and down-pipes repaired and painted. Roof slates and leading ordered
- Two significant cracks in West walls pinned and filled
- Bell-ringing chamber restored and painted (November 2010), and new bell ropes hung
- Kitchen re-plastered, refurbished, and lime-washed
- The Porch repaired and re-lime-washed
- West and South doors re-furbished and painted
- Entry Gate repaired and re-painted
- West Screen restored and painted
- Pulpit restored and waxed (December 2010)
- Church Guide re-written, with new photographs (2011)
- Harris monument restored and re-ordered (2012)
- Pews foundations replaced and pews restored (2012)
- Nave floor re-laid (2012)
- Side-aisle pew repaired and restored
- Side-aisle seating cushioned
- Pulpit Tester restored and re-fitted (2013)
- Three side-aisle windows repaired
- Ten Commandments Boards restored and re-hung (2014)
- Bell Chamber structure restored (work in progress, early 2015)
Funding
Overall cost of all works: circa £230,000 This work was initiated by £40,000 raised from events in Cornworthy and Villager donations. Thereafter, 30 Trusts and Charities gave Grants to meet the needs (list below): the Church has continued Village fund-raising schemes. Heritage Lottery Fund granted £35,500 towards the work on Pews and Nave floor Examples of the costs: Tower £80,000, Pulpit £2,000 Harris Monument £12,000 Pews/Nave floor £86,000, Tester £18,000
The Future
Professional Conservators have estimated a further £50,000 or so will be required to restore fully the Roodscreen. Strategy for raising this further sum is not yet devised.
If you are inclined to help this work, every contribution of whatever size is very welcome (if possible in a Gift Aid envelope from the table on the right as you enter the Church)-to be placed in the box just inside the South door. Donations can also be made to the PCC Treasurer, Mrs Sue Stevenson.
We are also very grateful for the work carried out by Conservators Hugh Harrison, Torquil McNeilage and Elizabeth Cheadle and their craftsmen as well as StoneCo stone masons and Minsterstone paving; and the many volunteer workers and fund-raisers from the Village
We are extremely grateful to the following Charities, Funds and Trusts (in alphabetical order) for their donations to the restoration of this Church, since we began the present Phases on 1 January 2008
- Alan Evans Memorial Trust
- All Churches Trust
- Anthony and Elizabeth Mellows Trust
- Church Buildings Council
- Cornworthy Parish Council
- Duke of Cornwall’s Benevolent Fund
- G C Gibson Charitable Trust
- National Churches Trust
- Society of Antiquaries of London (Morris Committee)
- St Andrew’s Conservation Trust
- Stephen Clark (1957) Charitable Trust
- The Archdeacon of Totnes’ Rural Churches Repair Fund
- The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust
- The Devon Historic Churches Trust
- The Elmgrant Trust
- The Francis Coales Charitable Foundation
- The Garfield Weston Foundation
- The Georgian Group (F E Cleary Fund)
- The Heritage Lottery Fund
- The Idlewild Trust
- The Lankelly Chase Foundation
- The Leche Trust
- The Manifold Trust
- The Mercer’s Charitable Foundation
- The Rock Trust of Cornworthy
- The Sainsbury Family Trusts
- The Stuart Heath Charitable Settlement
- The Wakefield Trust
- Viscount Amory’s Charitable Trust
February 2015
