Project Progress Update April 2026

Progress to April 2026

Since November 2025, our lead contractors, Lang Conservation, have been working with specialist conservators to deliver the capital works approved by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the grant award. The majority of the work required to improve the drainage and soakaways has been completed and work is currently underway on the repairs to the external stonework and repointing particularly on the west and south walls of the -church which get the worst of the weather. Internally, the west wall has been stripped of its plaster, replastered and repainted to provide an improved setting to west window when it returns to the church. There are plans to repaint the north wall as well as part of the package of work.

The stained glass windows have been removed originally to facilitate cleaning and re-leading of the windows. It turned out that the quality of the original firing of the colour was insufficient to allow the full reglazing to be done. Instead the stained glass windows will be set into a brass frame and reinstalled in the front of the window apertures with a clear glass but leaded window installed to provide weather proofing. Some of the plain leaded windows have been removed for repair and the first one was re-installed at the beginning of this month.

The Royal Coat of Arms was removed from site by Calibre Conservation and has been dismantled and cleaned and will be remounted onto a new backing before being returned to the church. When the painting was taken off its backing board, it was found to be slightly bigger than expected although it was suspected that part of the original was not either there or on show. The left hand of the painting had been folded under as had the top. When the top was exposed, it is clear that the Coat of Arms is that of Charles II. The frame will be extended to allow the entire painting to be seen. This has been a much more complex conservation than expected due to the damage to the painting just by the original mounting process and the Coat of Arms is expected back in the church at the end of June.

Calibre Conservation has been working in the chancel since November 2025, though some very cold weather, to clean and conserve the wall paintings and the monuments in the chancel. The work that has been done is extraordinary with the colours and intricate designs emerging from the gloom of dust and dirt that has accumulated over the centuries. Work is continuing until May and we will publish photographs of the completed work and are planning a 360 degree tour of the church to show the work which will be published in due course.

Alongside this work, we have launched our 1000 years, 1000 voices celebration of the history of the history of All Saints through a series of events which are set out in our Events Section. So far this year these have included setting up a Knit and Natter group to produce poppies for Remembrance Day, a History Quiz and a Trip Down Memory Lane which includes capturing some verbal histories for posterity.

Below is a picture of a newly restored tomb lid. The same tomb before restoration is shown in the header of this news item.

Newly cleaned alabaster tomb lid previously grey and with little detail. Early use of resins add colour to the heraldic shield.