Leaning church gets money to fix walls and floor

4 hours ago

Becki Bowden,in Dry Doddingtonand

Emma Petrie,East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

News image — The tower of St James' leans by about five degrees, whereas the tower in Pisa leans by just under four

BBC A shot taken from a drone above the church, the tower of which is leaning to the left. It is built of stone and the roof of the rest of the church has clay tiles. The church is surrounded with trees and a few houses. — The tower of St James' leans by about five degrees, whereas the tower in Pisa leans by just under four

A Lincolnshire church that tilts more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa has received a grant for further restoration work.

The tower of St James' Church in Dry Doddington leans by just over five degrees and has been underpinned, but the building sits on clay and the floor is rotten.

The church has been awarded £128,106 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to replace the floor, the electrics and fix cracks in the walls.

Warden Dick Loynes said he was "absolutely over the moon" about the funding and said that without it, the church would have had to close.

A close up of the floor. Tiles are sinking and cracked and grills have come away, showing bricks and rubble beneath. It is taped off between the pews. — Church warden Dick Loynes said the floor was in a "terrible state"

The main part of St James' dates back to the 12th Century, while the tower was built in the 14th Century.

In 1918, the church's tower was underpinned to prevent further tilting.

The building underwent extensive repairs in 2015, which cost about £100,000 again funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The church is currently kept locked during the day because of trip hazards, with access only available when a key holder is present.

Dick is standing outside the church. He has a checked shirt on underneath a grey jumper. — Loynes said he was "over the moon" about the funding for the church

Loynes explained: "The floor is rotting, which is causing the church to sink."

The cracks in the walls were repairable, but the electrics needed replacing and the church currently only had one plug socket, he said.

"At the moment, taking a wheelchair into the church is extremely difficult," Loynes said.

"If you've got any form of disability, it's extremely difficult and we have to be there all the time to make sure people are safe.

"There were fears it would have to close, but that is no longer the case."

Loynes' wife, Lynda, said the church was the centre of village life.

"Births, marriages, and deaths all take place with the church, and harvest supper, Easter service. It's very important in the village," she said.

Large cracks have run up the wall plaster which has falled away in sections. Chairs stand at the side of a row of pews. — The cracks in the wall are not serious and can be repaired, Loynes said

On Saturday, a tea party was held at the Village Hall to celebrate the lottery funding.

Jane Mitchell, from Long Bennington, attended to support the village and said: "They've put so much hard work into all the background of getting the money through.

"I think it's a brilliant thing and it'll make a huge difference to the village."

Work on the building is due to get under way in mid-October and is expected to take about 16 weeks.

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