Repairs and Renovations

1300’s
The North aisle was built onto the chapel.

1600’s
In 1658 after a bad storm the tower collapsed on the chapel.  The chapel was restored between 1658 and 1664. The rebuildingof the transept was paid for by Richard Trestean of Trelonk.                                                                                                                     In 1669 the porch was repaired.
In 1675 the tower was repaired.

1700’s
Between 1745 and 1777 when the Reverend Henchman was vicar the skylight and a small square window by the pulpit were installed.


In 1788 Reverend Whitaker had two of the three bells cast into one which bears his name.

   
In 1790 three windows were altered, two in the aisle and one in the chapel improving the light in the church.  Around this time the roof open to the rafters was enclosed, the Rood screen beam removed and the flight of stone steps, believed to go to the Rood loft, were blocked up.
In this century the raised platform in the chancel was removed, only leaving a small area by the altar and it is probable that the Rood screen was removed then as well.

1800’s
In 1866 the roof was replaced and stone arches straightened.  Some of the roof beams were reused in the altar, font and pulpit.

In 1868 stained glass windows were installed in the Transept in memory of John & Mary Peter of Treviles.

In 1893 a new area was acquired just below the church for burials. This was consecrated on the 29th September 1893.

1930’s
On the 7th May 1936 a war memorial was erected in the church to remember those killed in WWI.

In 1939 the oak screen was installed to make the vestry, the open back benches were replaced with pews, repairs were done to the roof, the Trewirgie aisle (South transept) was renovated.

It was also in 1939 when the roof shields were installed. There are 34 in total, showing various colleges, universities and diocese. These were painted by the Reverend Ernest Victor Dunn who died in 1939.

1950’s
Sometime between 1951 and 1952 electricity was installed in the church.
In 1955 the roof and vestry floor were repaired.
In 1956 it was agreed to sell the rectory.
It is believed that in this decade the second bell was removed.

1980’s
In 1984 the vestry and other broken windows in the church were repaired.

In 1988 a lectern bible and prayer book were sent off to the conservator at the library at Westminster Abbey, where the severe damage made by Sellotape was carefully removed.  Other damage was repaired and then rebound.

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In 1988 all the kneelers were recovered

1990’s
In 1991 the lead covering and timber structure of the roof on the tower were renewed. A new access ladder was also made for the tower.  The West window of the tower was re-glazed and the whole tower re-pointed.  It was also at this time that the old oak frame for the bell was renewed, the bell was taken away for a new clapper and then re-hung on new fixings. Various plaster work was carried out inside the church and a new wall safe was installed.

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In 1992 a new cast iron downpipe was put on the tower.
In 1993 the slate sun dial, previously on the south wall of the tower was re-fixed to the south wall of the transept and a new gnomon fitted. 

The floor in the bottom of the tower was raised to the same level as the vestry, new cupboards were also fitted in the old door entrance and a sink unit was installed.  Wooden screens to the storage and robbing area were installed.  Some re-pointing was also done to the South and North wall.
It was also this year that churchwardens’ staves were donated to the church.
In 1994 the church was completely rewired and new lighting installed.
In 1995 the Lych Gate gates were repaired and re-hung and the coffin rest was repaired.  The Lych Gate had all the ivy removed. Some panes in the windows were repaired and a new carpet was laid.
In 1997 the interior of the church was redecorated and an oak board listing the rectors was erected.  Minor repairs were also carried out on the porch roof.

2000’s

In 2004 two new Lych Gate gates were made, work done on the coffin rest and new wood seats made.

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In 2008 the Quinquennial Inspection Report highlighted that a considerable amount of work needed to be done.  The most urgent being the repair of the windows and the roof.  A concerted effort to raise money for the repair of the windows began.  Several events were held including concerts by Orlando Joplin.
In 2009 a new North door was made and fitted.

2010’s

In 2010 new cast iron guttering was erected on the north side of the church.

In 2011 the church was left a bequest by Flora Phillips, a regular church attendee which helped towards various repairs.  This year also saw the installation of four electric heaters and new low-level flood lights in the ceiling.

In 2012 Mr Endacott, a stained-glass expert, carefully removed the first windowpanes.  These were taken away so that he could renew the lead and clean the glass.  The window was boarded up with plywood while the work was done.  Work carried on over several years.

In 2013 another Quinquennial Inspection Report highlighted that there was still a considerable amount of work that urgently needed doing.  It was also this year that saw a large bequest from Claudia Critchley (her husband had once been a churchwarden of the church).

In 2013 another Quinquennial Inspection Report highlighted that there was still a considerable amount of work that urgently needed doing. It was also this year that saw a large bequest from Claudia Critchley (her husband had once been a churchwarden of the church).

The roof was the most urgent work that needed to be done but while talks continued regarding the slate, other work was started in the church.

In 2014 the carpenter (Neil) started replacing rotten floor beams and floorboards.  The worst area was in the North aisle where the boards dipped quite alarmingly when you walked on them. The outer entrance door to the porch was repaired, given a new coat of paint and new mesh.   It was also this year that saw the final window being restored.

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The chimney on the North aisle which had a very dangerous lean was careful taken down to roof height and rebuilt straight in the same year.  It was also in this year that a new notice board was bought and erected by the Lych Gate.

It was not until 2015 that the roofers arrived.  It had been agreed that the new Delabole slate was too heavy for the roof beams, so another sort had to be used.  The main aisles were striped first and any of the old slate that was re-useable was kept to one side.  These were eventually used on the South side of the main aisle, South Transept and porch, while the rest of the roof was covered in the new slate.  Most of the fleur de lis ridge tiles broke or disintegrated while being removed, with only a few being suitable to be re-used on the porch.  Recycled ones like those that had been on the North aisle were sourced for the rest of the roof.  Work on the roof eventually finished in 2016.

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It was also 2015 when new pew cushions were purchased and much appreciated, they were by the congregation.  Two new gates were erected in the newly reopened entrance in the lower churchyard.

In 2016 the builders (Michael and Danny) started re-pointing the wall of the North aisle.  They continued around the whole church eventually finishing in 2017.

The carpenter (Neil) also returned and other areas of dodgy floor were replaced (I’m not sure how the floor in the vestry stayed there as it was only dust holding the beams together).  He also repaired some of the pews.

A new alarm system was installed.

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In early 2017 scaffolding was erected inside, so that work could start on the repairs to the ceilings.  A lot of the plaster had come down or cracked when the roof was done, this was repaired and then painted white.  While the scaffolding was up, they also coated the woodwork in the ceiling with a special preservative.

New gravel was laid on the path from the Lych Gate to the porch.

In June 2017 a new carpet was laid in the main aisle and vestry.  Before the carpet could go down in the main aisle, four new metal plates were put in the floor over the old stove to replace the old grids.  The kneelers by the altar were also recovered.

Due to a wedding in July 2017 the scaffold came down and work had to stop on the ceiling, they still had to do the ceiling in the transept.  It was not until July 2018 that they returned and completed the work.  Various small patches of plaster that had come away during the work were re-plastered.

In 2018 the lych gate was fully repainted and the gates given a coat of oil.

In April 2019 work was started on the new platform in the tower.  This was necessary to replace the long wooden ladder that was full of woodworm and make access to the bell tower safer.  The platform was installed, and loft ladder fitted.  In May the electrician fitted a new socket and a light under the platform as it was now rather dark beneath the platform.  In June Neil the carpenter returned to plank in the underneath of the platform to make a ceiling.  He then started to fit another loft ladder coming down from the floor above to the platform and so allowing access to the bell tower area.  While putting in the second ladder it was deemed necessary to move the third ladder to the bell tower and this now gives access to the bell tower without having to crawl underneath the bell frame.

With all the ladders and platform finished, work started on fixing cracks in the tower wall by the window and other bits that needed doing.  With this finished the tower was painted and then the new platform was given an Oak stain.

With access to the tower roof now much easier, the crenulations on the roof were repointed.

In October the plaster on the walls of the porch started to fall off, so these were cleaned back to the stones and re-plastered.

Once fully dry they were painted.  While working there, the ceiling between the beams was painted and the beams given a coat of oil.  The hinges to the inner door were in a poor condition, so these were cleaned and reinstalled slightly higher, so now the door opens freely.  The outer door was cleaned, and the metal grid cleared of rust and painted. 

The drainage problem on the North side of the church was solved by an extension of the down pipe to the nearest drain and a small soak away.

2020’s

In January 2020 a new carpet was laid in the bottom of the tower. 

In February the old filing cabinet was cleaned off and a new coat of paint applied. 

In March the plaque (Revd Richard Budd) by the altar was repaired and while there, a loose board in the Lord’s Prayer was screwed back in.

In July several small triangle floor tiles were replaced where they were missing and then all the tiles were re-grouted.  At the same time all the floor slates were re-grouted.  The slate and tiles in the transept that had sunk were took up and re-laid on a new bed.

In July 2021 the downpipe on the tower was redecorated and various repairs done on the tower.  While this work was being done, the porch at last got painted and the porch noticeboard refurbished. 

The work to repoint the eroded joints to the string course on the tower was finished in August and the repointing of the coping stones on the transept in November, along with the pointing to the flashing on the chimney.

In December, several of the old Halogen lights that had stopped working were replaced for more energy efficient LED lighting.

In February 2022 a speaker bar was purchased to play music in the church due to no regular organist. July saw the remaining Halogen lights replaced for LED’s and in August a small wooden cupboard was bought to stand the new SumUp machine on which eventually arrived in November.

In August 2023 Ship’s Carpentry started work on the repairs to the bell frame, beams and putting in louvres in the bell chamber. In September work was done to repair the Budd memorial and a light/socket was installed in the tower. Also in this month a light and socket was installed in the Lych Gate making access to the church at night time much safer.