'We need £1m to save our church from falling down'

7 hours ago

Richard Price,West Midlandsand

Lee Blakeman,BBC Radio Stoke

Reverend Heather Carter is 18 months into her role in charge of St Mary's Church in Astbury

St Mary's Church Astbury A woman with short blonde hair is wearing a black outfit with a white "dog collar" customary of a clergy member. She is looking at the camera and smiling. She is inside a church building with wooden pews and stone pillars behind her. — Reverend Heather Carter is 18 months into her role in charge of St Mary's Church in Astbury

The vestry wall is leaning at an alarming angle, the steeple is badly rusted, and it seems likely the church could be added to Historic England's Heritage At Risk Register.

Last year, St Mary's Church in Astbury, Cheshire, even had to close for three months in an attempt to slash its energy bills.

It is an "amazing building", according to the woman in charge, Reverend Heather Carter, and people often say, "Wow", when they enter, but it is now desperately in need of cash to sort out its creaking structure.

A fundraising campaign to bring in £1m has been launched - but this may only be the very start of what is needed to stop it from falling down, she said.

Carter has been at St Mary's for 18 months, after moving up from Oxford and having previously been a missionary in South America.

"Leafy Cheshire is a big change from a university city," she said, but added that she had grown up in rural surroundings, so found it familiar, and everyone had been very welcoming.

St Mary's Church in Astbury is raising money to make urgent repairs

A church surrounded by trees and a graveyard. There is a square tower with a conical spire and a large adjoining building with stained glass windows. The building is set against a blue sky. — St Mary's Church in Astbury is raising money to make urgent repairs

"Coming into a big church with lots going on has been a real challenge but also really exciting."

She said the wet winter last year and this year's dry summer had affected the ground beneath the church, which in turn had affected the building's structure.

"It's no longer on the 'You need to get on with this fairly soon' to being 'It's now fairly urgent'," Carter said.

"It won't fall down because we've got scaffolding up," she said, but added that this had cost £20,000 and they were not yet sure how much the building's roof was holding the wall in position.

"We are safe, absolutely we're safe," she said.

"Obviously, we're a Grade I-listed building, and we will do absolutely everything to keep this beautiful building upright."

The church had to close for three months to save money on heating bills

St Mary's Church Astbury Inside the church there are wooden pews between stone pillars. Flowers decorate the ends of the pews. At the front, a wooden screen stands before the altar, while a large stained-glass window dominates the wall behind it. — The church had to close for three months to save money on heating bills

She said structural engineers were assessing the best way to repair and maintain the 14th Century place of worship. The work required specialists in medieval architecture, whose services were not cheap.

The bill could stretch to more than £1m to undertake part of the overall work required at the church.

This meant adding "three or six noughts to whatever number you choose to put in front of it," Carter said.

The repair work needed at St Mary's will cost more than £1m the church estimates

An illuminated church stands at night among trees and gravestones. It has a square tower topped by a conical spire and a large adjoining section with stained-glass windows.” — The repair work needed at St Mary's will cost more than £1m the church estimates

She told BBC Radio Stoke it cost about £12,000 per month simply to keep the doors open, and there was a danger the church might have to close.

About 80 people currently attend its three regular Sunday services. Carter urged the community - including those who may not go to church - to help them raise money that's needed to keep the building standing.

"You have these places that are central parts of the village - the pub, the church, the farm are all part of what makes up Astbury," she said.

"Without the church it would just not be the same."

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