Major repair work is to start this month on laying new lead on the north aisle roof of Brent Knoll’s St Michael’s Church.
The lead covering the roof was stolen in August last year and in an effort to carry out the repairs, the church’s supporters launched an appeal to raise £45,000.
The 96-panel medieval carved wooden ceiling, dating back to 1480, had been under threat due to mean theives taking the lead from the church’s roof, allowing rain water to leak through the ceiling and cause damage.
Gerard Keele, friends co-ordinator at St Michael’s Church, says that church trustees had applied for grants to help fund the repair work. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supplying a generous grant that will cover half the cost of the work.
The roof protects the medieval ceiling and the Friends of St Michael’s Church raised a major sum through an appeal to Save Our Special Ceiling.
Gerard told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We are very grateful to our grant funders and local people and businesses who have supported our project.”
“West Country Tiling Company of Frome will be carrying out the building work.”
“The National Lottery Heritage Fund is also supporting a community involvement project that will run for three years after the building work is completed.”
“This is entitled Promoting Education About Church Heritage, or PEACH for short.”
“As part of this project we shall be working with children in Brent Knoll Primary School, and other local groups, to promote the heritage in the church and the churchyard.”
“There will be an arts and crafts exhibition in the church in 2021 themed around the church’s heritage.”
“Other events will include a churchyard open day and an opportunity to see how bell ringing is done.”
