TWO historic Huddersfield churches are today handed cash to fund repairs.
The money will go to Huddersfield Parish Church and St John’s Church at Birkby – both of which have major structural concerns.
They will share more than £350,000 being handed out by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, which today pledged £1.1m for urgent repair work to seven Grade I and II* listed places of worship in West Yorkshire.
The grants have been awarded under the joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme, which since 2002 has invested £16m in preserving the fabric of some of the region’s most historic religious buildings.
Churches in Thornhill and Elland also get a share of the cash.
Work will target eroded masonry, leaking roofs and crumbling guttering, helping hard-pressed parishioners secure the future of cherished buildings.
Trevor Mitchell, English Heritage Regional Director for Planning and Development, Yorkshire and Humber region, said: “These grants aim to support urgent repairs, nipping problems in the bud like leaking roofs which if left unchecked would allow dampness to spread, decaying wonderful interiors and requiring far more costly remedies in the future.
“Maintaining our historic places of worship is a massive challenge, but the support we have pledged today with the HLF is a token of our on-going commitment to local communities and congregations.”
Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Our region is home to some of the country’s most important and precious places of worship, but sustaining them is always a big challenge.
“We are delighted, in partnership with English Heritage, to be able to offer grant support to 16 of these wonderful structures, helping to ensure that these magnificent buildings are safeguarded for the future.”
St John’s Church will get £212,000 to carry out repairs to nave and north aisle roofs, north porch, roof drainage and masonry.
The church was hit by vandals two years ago when they damaged the spire by trying to rip down lighting conductors.
The church was built in 1852 by Sir John William Ramsden, a young man of 20 who built it in memory of his father. It was consecrated in 1853 and it is said that up to 4,000 people attended the opening.
The grant to the church includes a £13,000 emergency payment for the installation of netting to catch plaster falling in the nave, north and south aisles.
St Peter’s is Huddersfield’s Parish Church and has had more than its share of structural problems in recent years.
Arthur Nightingale, who chairs the building development group, welcomed news of the grant and said they hoped work would start later this year, providing the church can find match funding.
The grant will fund repairs to plaster ceilings, fixtures and furnishings, redecoration and fitting protection to the organ.
“We have had to stop using the balconies and areas of the church have also been cordoned off because of the falling plaster.
“This grant is great news and we hope work can start later this year.”
St Peter’s, built in 1863, occupies a central position in the town and dominates the area with its tall, elaborate and imposing south elevation.
It stands on the site of two previous churches and some of the earlier stonework has been reused.
Other churches to benefit are St Michael and All Angels, Thornhill (£178,000) and St Mary’s, Elland (£105,000).
