St Michael's Church Restoration Group

The purpose of the group which was formed in 2008 was to make a plan, raise funds and carry out work which would bring the St Michael’s Church building and its churchyard to an acceptable standard for the benefit of worshippers, the village community and visitors for generations to come. A summary of the project is shown in the panel below which can be clicked to enlarge. Further information is provided further on.
Committee
Alan Hillard (Chair)
John Livermore (Secretary and Treasurer)
Jan Pain
Andrew Reid
Bernard Bradshaw
Alan Parker
Alan Carter
Nick Lewis

The Committee worked on the restoration project for over fifteen years and by August 2023 all the major objectives had been achieved. A brief summary of all aspects of the project can be found below.

Church Interior

Pasted Graphic 3
Our faculty application was approved by the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) in June 2019. The faculty covered plans to carry out a comprehensive reordering of the church interior in order to make it a place of practical usefulness, with improved comfort and incorporating fittings and decoration to make it relevant for the present day and well into the future. These plans can be summarised as follows

  • a fully accessible WC in the North West corner of the nave connected to an existing sewer
  • a catering point in the South West corner of the nave with base units, worktop and sink
  • removal of the rear banks of pews and relocation of the font to free up space
  • removal and replacement of all other pews for more comfortable pews/chairs which will be arranged semi-permanently to allow more flexibility in the use of space
  • creation of a single floor level throughout the nave at the level of the existing central aisle.
  • enhanced heating and lighting
  • built-in storage in oak at low level on the north side of the nave e.g for folding tables and chairs
  • a revised entrance area with glazed inner door
  • realignment and alterations to the vestry and chancel areas
  • redecoration of all wall surfaces with paint materials which will permit the stone construction to breathe 
Following faculty approval, a tender process took place for completion of the work in accordance with agreed and detailed specifications drawn up by our architects, Hook Mason.The successful tenderer was IG Preece Ltd.

Basic contract arrangements were agreed early in 2020 and work was planned to start in April 2020 but had to be delayed because of the covid-19 pandemic. Following clearance by the Church in Wales, work will now commence in week beginning 6th July. Currently, the church is being kept closed and no services are taking place. By arrangement, funerals can take place in the churchyard but the church will not be available for weddings until 2021.

The floor plan below gives an overall indication of the scope of work to be carried out.

6240-3-5F-FlrPlnAsPrp-Layout

The work is fully funded through local fundraising and the release of a church legacy fund. Grants have also been awarded by the National Churches Trust, the Monmouth Diocesan Church Fabric Fund, and Tintern Community Council.

We are extremely grateful to the National Churches Trust which made a Cornerstone Grant to St Michael's of £20,000 towards the interior work.

image001

It is also acknowledged with thanks the receipt of a £3,000 grant from Tintern Community Council to assist with the installation of the WC and kitchen facilities.

th_4d96a4003f9653454bfe65d65e462a8f_1329692861tinterncc
Progress photographs of the interior project.
Images can be enlarged by clicking on them.

South Porch

Pasted Graphic 5
The restoration work for this remaining 15th century part of the church was completed in 2013 and is now used as the building’s principal entrance. For a long time, the porch had been locked and out of use owing to the danger posed by loose horizontal ribs in the ceiling structure. Following an arduous approval process with the Diocesan authorities, permission was finally granted for a complete overhaul, including improvements to the stonework, comprehensive timber replacement and repair, and replacement of the roof tiles with Welsh slate. The work was carried out by Brownstone Construction and was paid for from existing funds.

Roof

Pasted Graphic 2
Although repair-only work was considered it was thought it would make more long term economic sense to replace the previous precast concrete tiles with slate and be more sympathetic to the style of this historic building. A faculty to start work was received early in 2017 from the Diocese the roof was completed in September 2017. This work, performed by Taliesin Construction, included a comprehensive inspection of the roof, the refurbishment and where necessary replacement of the roof timbers, and re-covering in its entirety with Welsh slate. Bat surveys were carried out by our ecologist and a licence obtained from Natural Resources Wales with conditions which included the installation of bat boxes in the surrounding trees. The funding for this work was made up of grants from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund and the Headley Trust with the balance covered by existing church funds.

roofrepair_logo
We are pleased to acknowledge the financial assistance provided by the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund which made a grant towards the roofing costs of £43,000 after a competitive bid by St Michael's Restoration Committee.

Progress photographs from the roof project
Pasted Graphic Pasted Graphic 1 Tintern01 copy

Replacement West Door

Pasted Graphic 3
The outer double doors at the west end of the church were rotting at the base and in a general poor condition. As a consequence It was decided to replace them on a like-for-like basis with a completely new pair using the same design and furniture, utilising dry oak with arched tongued and grooved rebated construction. Existing door ironwork was removed, refurbished and refitted. The door surrounds and internal woodwork above the doors as necessary were removed and refitted and a protective coating applied to the finished installation. The work was completed in 2014.

Lychgate Restoration

Pasted Graphic
The Lychgate was installed some 40 years ago and due to a lack of maintenance over the years the side structures had become infested with woodworm and beetle. As a consequence an urgent plan of restoration was undertaken and the existing timbers were replaced with dry oak and treated with preservatives. This work was completed at the end of 2011 and we can now be assured of having a Lychgate that will last for many years.

This project has been supported by the Sustainable Development Fund, a Defra initiative in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the Welsh Church Act Fund and the TCC.

Boundary Wall

Pasted Graphic 1 Pasted Graphic 2
The drystone wall forming a boundary between the Parva B & B and the churchyard was in a poor state and inherently unsafe. Long term tree growth and ivy infestation had destroyed the fabric of the wall. As a consequence urgent work was commissioned to place the wall in a safe condition and to make the area aesthically pleasing.
This work has been supported by a grant from the Diocese of Monmouth, Churches and Pastoral Committee

Interpretation Board

Pasted Graphic 4
This was designed by Andrew Reid and has now been installed by the path along the side of the church. It gives further information on the church and its historical context for both villagers and visitors.

This project has also been supported by the Sustainable Development Fund, a Defra initiative in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Public Footpath Ramp

Pasted Graphic
Because the area surrounding the gate on the public footpath at the field end of the churchyard was in danger of flooding the Committee felt it was sensible to install a ramp to bring the level of the path above anticipated levels of flood water. This work was carried out earlier in 2012. The cost was funded from existing monies in the church restoration account.

Other items purchased in 2012 included a High Security Storage Shed for much needed additional storage space and a Digital Organ. The latter item was supported by a grant from the Welsh Church Act Fund.

Work continues on the general maintenance of the church and its churchyard.

 The Committee is very appreciative of local support and hope this continues so eventually we are able to fully preserve this very special historical and religious site. Any help with the project from residents will always be welcome, particularly those who have any expertise concerning such matters as grant applications and fund raising ideas but also those who can spare an hour or two in helping around the church and the churchyard. In the meantime if any readers require further information concerning the project please contact Alan Hillard whose contact details are below.
Contact
Alan Hillard
Telephone 01291 689772
email
alan.hillard@gmail.com