The 2008 restoration scheme

WORK BEGAN on the the latest restoration of the Abbey Church in April 2008, the first task being the repair of he upper windows in the chancel. Scaffolding was erected to enable builders remove them, all from the north side and one from the south side, and the apertures were then boarded up to protect the interior of the church from the weather.

The project is being carried out in four stages but has been prioritised to ensure that the most pressing jobs will be completed first, the restoration of the south aisle roof being currently completed with the help of £50,000 left to the church in the will of the late Len Pick which was used to finance the more urgent improvements. The remainder of the work is being financed with the £80,000 raised from the public appeal which ended earlier this year.

• STAGE ONE - to extend the north-west corner of the church to enclose the current boiler house and provide indoor toilets, baby changing facilities, a kitchen and serving area, a new modern boiler and a storage area for cleaning materials;

• STAGE TWO - to restore and repair the church windows which will include re-leading, new saddle bars, ventilators and the replacement of all broken or damaged panes, re-leading traceries and the replacement of guards;

• STAGE THREE - repairing the roof and guttering;

• STAGE FOUR - restoring the vestry area.

The vicar, the Rev Christopher Atkinson, said that the church would remain open throughout. "There will be a lot of dust and grime and so we ask people to bear with us", he said. Services will continue as normal.

There was a set back for the project in July 2008 when English Heritage contacted the parochial church council expressing reservations about some aspects of the work, particularly plans to build a new doorway which might have an adverse effect on the architectural merit of the Grade I listed building. "The objections are not insurmountable but it means that we must go back to the drawing board", said the vicar. "We are disappointed but remain optimistic that the problem can be solved and we intend to work with English Heritage to find a solution and submit changes that will meet with their approval."

There were further objections from the Diocese of Lincoln in June 2010 and the entire modernisation project was put on hold. The Diocesan Advisory Committee which adjudicated in the matter decided that work could not proceed on the installation of a kitchen and new toilets to replace those currently outside at the back of the church because the building needed to be protected.

The vicar, the Rev Christopher Atkinson, told The Local newspaper that the present arrangement was most unsatisfactory and that a replacement was badly needed (June 25th). “It is vital because we cannot provide adequate facilities for the elderly and the very young by asking them to go outside in the depths of a deep mid-winter”, he said.

This appeared to be a simple though necessary improvement which involved opening up a mediaeval archway to create an internal entrance but this became a stumbling block and after several years of negotiations, the committee rejected the scheme because of concerns over possible damage to the building during construction work. The Archdeacon of Lincoln, the Venerable Tim Barker, said that the diocese needed to take extreme care when making decisions about historically important buildings such as the Abbey Church. “We want to support the parish as best we can that will allow such a superb building to really serve the needs of the people”, he said.

The parochial church council was therefore faced with the choice of either amending the original plans or appealing to a consistory court which rules on such matters but his was ruled out on the grounds of cost, having already spent £5,000 on archaeological and architectural fees and legal advice. "If we lost the judgment we would be further out of pocket by as much as £10,000 which is too much to lose", said the vicar. "The council felt that this would be wrong because people have given this money for restoration."

It was therefore decided in September 2010 to abandon the original scheme and initiate an entirely different project by adding a new meeting room provided agreement could be reached with diocesan planning officials. "The feeling on the council is quite positive on this", said the vicar. "Members think this is the right way forward rather than giving up completely."

REVISED SEPTEMBER 2010

Return to

The 2008 Restoration Appeal     The Abbey Church