A \u2018Save our Spires\u2019 appeal has been launched by the National Churches Trust, together with a photography competition to help raise awareness of conservation and maintenance issues affecting historic spires.<\/u><\/p>\n
The National Churches Trust writes:
\n<\/u>‘Save our Spires’\u00a0 highlights the plight of crumbling church spires around the UK, many of which are in need of urgent repair.<\/p>\n
An analysis by the National Churches Trust of Historic England\u2019s latest \u2018Heritage At Risk Register\u2019 shows that 40 listed parish churches require urgent repair work to their spires. You can see the churches at risk on our online map.<\/p>\n
Damage to parish church spires includes:<\/p>\n
Over the last three years, the National Churches Trust has helped fund repairs to 17 parish church spires in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, investing over \u00a3370,000 in their future.<\/p>\n
Now the Trust is seeking to raise at least a further \u00a3250,000 to help fund repairs to more parish church spires and ensure that these key architectural features continue to grace villages, towns and cities throughout the UK. The Trust is also urging people to support churches fundraising to repair spires as the cost of this work is far beyond the ability of most congregations to pay for. (The \u2018Save our Spires\u2019 appeal only involves parish churches as the National Churches Trust does not fund Cathedral buildings.)<\/p>\n
Repairs to church spires are expensive, partly due to the costs of erecting scaffolding and the specialist work required by stonemasons and structural engineers.\u00a0 The height and inaccessibility of spires also means churches have difficulty monitoring their condition and cannot undertake any regular preventative maintenance.<\/p>\n
Donations to support the appeal can be made in the following ways<\/p>\n
Claire Walker, CEO of the National Churches Trust said: \u2018Soaring high above their surroundings, church spires were often built as an attempt to get as close to Heaven as possible. Sadly, these days many are in danger of going in the other direction.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018Church spires are a key feature of the UK\u2019s landscape. It\u2019s no surprise that many people\u2019s favourite churches have spires, including Joanna Lumley OBE, whose favourite church is St Bride\u2019s in the City of London, the inspiration for tiered wedding cakes and Michael Palin, one of whose favourite churches is St John\u2019s Church in Ranmoor\u00a0which has the tallest spire in Sheffield.\u00a0 Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, in the last three years we have been able to help fund repairs to 17 spires in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.\u00a0 Now, through our \u2018Save our Spires\u2019 appeal, we want to be able to continue to work with congregations and other funders to help repair more of the UK\u2019s church spires. I also hope that in cities, towns and villages where spires are at risk, people of all faiths and none will support the fundraising efforts of local churches seeking to repair these amazing architectural achievements so that they can be enjoyed by our children and children\u2019s children.\u00a0 Great spires are important historical landmarks\u2019<\/p>\n
In a film about church spires, produced by the National Churches Trust and includes a case study of the crumbling spire of Christ Church, Highbury, London, Diana Evans, Head of Places of Worship Advice at Historic England, says: \u2018Local congregations try to keep their spires in good condition but many congregations simply don\u2019t have enough money to keep their spires up.\u2019 In the film, John Goodall, Architecture Editor of Country Life says: \u2018Great spires are important historical landmarks and we ought to be preserving them.\u2019<\/p>\n
To allow people to show why spires are such an important part of the UK\u2019s landscape, the National Churches Trust is holding a \u2018Save our Spires\u2019 photography competition. The winner will share a \u00a3250 cash prize with their photographed church.<\/p>\n
Photos can be uploaded to the National Churches Trust ‘Save our Spires’ webpage\u00a0to the National Churches Trust Facebook page <\/u>or to the National Churches Trust via Twitter @NatChurchTrust using the hashtag #saveourspires<\/p>\n
View the save our spires webpage<\/a>, details of how to donate and details of the competitions<\/p>\n Watch the Save Our Spires video<\/a><\/p>\n View the map of at church spires at risk<\/a><\/p>\n IHBC newsblogs on church repairs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A \u2018Save our Spires\u2019 appeal has been launched by the National Churches Trust, together with a photography competition to help raise awareness of conservation and maintenance issues affecting historic spires. The National Churches Trust writes: ‘Save our Spires’\u00a0 highlights the … Continue reading