Update on the Tower Restoration
Update on the Tower Restoration – All Saints Tower Turret Restoration is Complete 14/2/25
Update on the Tower Restoration. The work is finished and thanks to the amazing support of the local community and the generous grants received from a significant number of other bodies we have also been able to pay for it. This result is an overwhelming demonstration of the Community working together and caring about the village environment.
We hope that the church building, the historical monument that it is, can also be a valuable resource for the community in the future. It is open every day of the year for personal and group visits and could provide a space for a wider range of activities than at present. But for now, we are extremely thankful that the Turret structure has been secured and will be safe for many years to come.
| Benefactor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Friends of All Saints | £40,000.00 |
| The Staplehurst Community Donations | £17,750.00 |
| All Saints PCC | £20,000.00 |
| National Churches Trust | £10,000.00 |
| Friends of Kent Churches | £10,000.00 |
| Wolfson Foundation (Via – Nat. Churches) | £10,000.00 |
| Anonymous Grant (Via – Nat. Churches) | £10,000.00 |
| Garfield Western | £10,000.00 |
| DAC Minor Repairs Grant | £9,000.00 |
| Newlyn Trust | £5,000.00 |
| Benefact Trust | £2,500.00 |
| St John’s College | £1,000.00 |
| All Saints Bell Ringers | £1,000.00 |
| Total Raised | £146,250.00 |
| Total Cost (ex-Vat) | £146,400.00 |
Update 2/12/24
Update on the Tower Restoration 23/11/24
Work on the Tower roof and turret has been proceeding with some delays due to weather and the need to replace some rotten timbers supporting the gutter, (figs 1, 3, 4, 5) which surrounds the main, slightly raised, tower roof.
Each piece of lead sheet has to be measured cut and then shaped to fit the existing roof design.
In order to improve the drainage and to reduce the risk of the supporting wood getting damp in the future, the central roof has been raised by a further 50 mm (fig 6).
Fitting the lead to match the original design (a requirement for our Grade 1 Listed building) is a very detailed and (given the thickness of the material) physical task (figs 7, 8, 9).
However, the lead is now mostly in place (fig 10) and just requires the edges to be shaped and the flashing set into the wall. The lead that is being replaced was laid in 1898, 126 years ago and is of a much lower grade that the material specified today, so it should last at least 200 years.
The church would be well over 1000 years old but what will Staplehurst look like then?
The replacement of the badly eroded stonework around the turret door has been completed and the new stone lintel (itself costing £890) is in place. (Fig 12)
However, the timber of the spirelet, which sits above the Turret gutter, behind the turret parapet (fig 13,14) could not be examined safely until the scaffolding was in place. When inspected, a serious amount of rotten wood was discovered in its structure (fig 15,16). The Schedule for the remaining work has had to be revised and following a further structural inspection, the cost to complete the turret gutter and the spirelet has increased dramatically.
The main task is the rebuilding of the timber spirelet, reusing as much of the original material as possible. We have been advised to introduce galvanized steel ‘hangers’ to support the new wooden Joists at the base of the Spirelet, which will greatly reduce the risk of damp rot affecting the beams in future however this required us to get an emergency Faculty (planning permission) to cover the introduction of new materials – fortunately that was granted very quickly.
The turret gutter, essentially a lead trough hidden behind, and 50 cm below, the parapet of the turret (fig 14), was supported by a loose infill of material and some very uneven masonry in the walls (fig 17). This has contributed to its failure resulting in the ingress of water which has damaged the timbers. The lead of the gutter is believed to be much older than that of the Tower roof, possibly as old as the tower itself, c1435.
The Spirelet carpentry together with stonework repairs to the bed of the Turret gutter, plus the additional scaffolding and the anticipated time extension, has increased the total cost of the project, excluding VAT, to an estimated £150,000, some £40,000 more than the original estimate.
Fortunately, the local community has again rallied to the cause and together with a special, emergency grant, other grants from local charities and a further raid on PCC reserves, we think we have about £27,000 towards the missing £40,000.
The spirelet will always be a difficult feature to inspect properly without expensive scaffolding. Our Inspecting Architect is therefore insisting that, ‘the lead protecting the spire structure is of the highest standard and quality to avoid future similar problems occurring.’
Tony Henley
PCC Tower Project Manager
Update on the Tower Restoration 29/9/24
Our 400 year old timber spirelet has been hiding its age. With the scaffolding in place, it has been possible to access the inside the Spirelet (the octagonal pyramid on top of the tower).
The picture shows the gutter (with the lead removed) which sits behind and about 60cm (2ft) below the top of the parapet of the turret. As can be seen the wood base which supports the lead gutter and the Spirelet, has largely turned to dust.
The second picture, inside the spirelet, shows the condition of two of the eight supporting oak log sections and the decay on the central oak pillar.
The good news is that following an independent structural assessment we hope to restore the central pillar without removing it and even reuse some of the log supports. The timber base will need to be completely rebuilt meaning the spirelet will have the be at least partially dismantled. Fortunately, most the wooden beams supporting the floor across the void of the stairway are still usable.
The church is a Grade 1 listed building so we are required to retain as much of the original structure and materials as possible (with the overriding constraint that the building must be safe over the long term). We suspect that the core materials, the log supports, and the central oak pillar have been in position at least since 1673 when the large spire blew down, but they could be older as the spirelet was probably built around 1425.
The Staplehurst community has been extremely generous in supporting the Tower project. This, together with grants, has enabled us to raise the funding to pay for the work. Unfortunately, while we do not have a definitive figure yet, the unexpected state of the spirelet may add up to £30,000 to our budgeted costs This is for scaffolding, materials, labour and the cost of the necessary extension to the Schedule. We are working had to reduce this, but any extra that you can give will make a big difference.
Small donations add up! Go to – allsaintsstaplehurst.co.uk/tower-turret-appeal/
Many thanks. Tony Henley
Preliminary details following the structural inspection 10/9/24
My notes on the preliminary conclusions – still to be agreed with Daniel Martin and costed.
Structural engineer from Morton Partnership inspected the turret on Tuesday 10th September.
Daniel Higgs, Pierra Project manager, and Tony Henley also attended, Daniel Martin, our Inspecting Architect was unavailable.
Central wooden post
The is sound, top and bottom but has some rot in the middle section. This was hidden until the scaffolding allowed the side of the spire removed.
The rot penetrates only an Inch or two into one side of the Post which is therefore considered acceptable to retain, perhaps with some additional bracing, under the floor and within the spire itself (down to the base)
Spire floor
The floor of the Spire, which is also the base on which the lead of the gutter sits, has completely rotted away and needs replacing (probably in soft wood).
The beams that support the floor are mostly sound although it is recommended that one, which has some decay and is made up of two sections, be left in situ and an additional beam added.
Spire supports
These are sections of oak log and while have some decay still have strength and most could be reused. (At the moment these are loose and do present a small hazard to anyone in the stair way.
Spire rafters
Basically sound, may need strengthening at the base.
Work already agreed
Replace the shingles and the ‘penny board’ (thin timber sheets) on which they sit.
Add ‘soakers’ to the eight vertices of the Spire (These were never fitted and as a consequence water has entered the spire causing the rot).
Cut back the masonry of the inside of the parapet of the turret to allow the replacement lead to fit better as the gutter, add flashing to the Parapet (and the underside of the Spire base) and replace the lead together with a new lead outlet for water to exit the gutter.
Some additional masonry work may be required on the inner face of the stepped wall on which the gutter sits.
New scaffolding
Pierra the contractors believe that a temporary safety platform will be required below the spire floor. above the stair way to allow safe working on the spire – this was not in the plan and will be a significant cost. Once in place it will allow normal access to the stair way (although possibly not exit onto the roof)
Because the platform will be require regardless of decision on other element of the turret repairs, It could be fitted as part of adjustment to the scaffolding which is due to happen soon it should mean the bell ringers could have access again quite quickly ( but no promises I am afraid).
Tony Henley
11th September 2024
Update on the Tower Restoration 17/8/24
The work has got off to a slow start but now the scaffolding is complete, real work can begin. As many will have seen and the photos suggest, the scaffolding is extensive. It needs to provide access to the very top of the turret including the weathervane and because the Church is Grade One listed, the scaffolding cannot be attached to it hence the extra frame on the north side which is linked across the back (East) side to connect and hold up the main scaffolding to the south.
Scaffolding is also necessary inside the bell chamber to allow the timbers of the roof to be inspected on the underside. Here the challenge was to fit the frame to allow safe access but still, if possible, allowing the bells to be rung. This has been achieved.
Fortunately, the inspection showed that there are no significant problems with the roof timbers with only some additional wedging of the roof supports required.
The lead of the roof which is over 100 years old going by the graffiti, has been lifted in places to check the timbers and again no concerns were identified. The roof will need some minor modification to comply with the latest standards for correct drainage, but this was anticipated.
The replacement stones for the turret are on order, including the
critical large lintel stone to replace the cracked one above the door. These have to be quarried, then cut and dressed to the correct size and shaped to fit the octagonal Turret.
The full extent of the work required on the small spire above the turret will become apparent when its lead gutter (which will be replaced) and the old shingles are removed. But so far this appears to be much as expected.
There is a long way to go but a very positive start has been made.
Finally, our apologies to anyone inconvenienced by congestion on the road at the top of the hill cause by the unloading of the scaffolding materials. This is now complete and hopefully improved procedures will be in place when the scaffolding is removed. As the contactors are quick to point out the church is a difficult site to access.
Thank you to the local community for your support without which the work would not be possible.
And a big thank you to all our charity funders.
- Benefact Trust
- Friends of All Saints
- Friends of Kent Churches
- Garfield Western
- National Churches Trust
- Wolfson Trust
- Anonymous Grant
- St John’s College
Tony Henley
All Saints Staplehurst, Building and Grounds
