Page 5

All Saints was seriously damaged in a mystery fire in 1985. Over the years
which followed it was painstakingly restored. It was rehallowed in 1989
and re-opened for worship.

During the 1990s as the spire, which bore the brunt of the fire, began to
settle after its repairs, it was apparent it needed to be re-pointed and this
was undertaken, paid for entirely by the local church.

In 1998 cracks were discovered in the tower which supports the spire.
Serious cracks, particularly on the south face which is affected most by
weather. Inside the bell chamber air movement could be detected through
the metre thick walls, indicating that they might be losing integrity. The
walls were also seen to be bulging in places.

A specialist architect was commissioned to survey the tower and the rest
of the building and report back. The subsequent Report made gloomy
reading and pointed the way towards a massive restoration, not only of the
tower, but also of the nave and transepts. Most of these areas were not
affected by the fire, but had been touched by the hand of time, by
centuries of weather and more recently by an increasingly acid
environment.

An electromagnetic scan of all four walls revealed a very serious situation
which required immediate action if All Saints was to retain its spire (and
tower!). Specialists were called in to drill and insert 262 stainless steel
anchors firmly fixing the outside of the walls to the inside. Then the voids
were drilled and gradually filled with a cement grout. The work was
finished in March 2001 at a cost of Ł170,000.

A year later contractors were back dealing with Phase 2 of a, by now 7
phase, repair programme. This involved repair and repointing stone at the
west end, re-seating battlements, renewing buttresses, the removal,
cleaning and repair of three fine Kempe windows and the subsequent
reconstruction of window jambs, mullions and tracery. The work was
completed in June 2002 at a cost of Ł170,000. Amongst the unexpected
problems encountered were serious faults in the flue which runs through
the west wall from an underground boiler house. This has now been
remedied - a new boiler room has been built on a mezzanine floor in the
south porch, replacing the old condemned boiler house. New boilers have
been installed and new external oak doors fitted to the porch. The west
end has been tidied with the removal of an old lean to shed and unsightly
pipework associated with the old system.

Next the south side of the nave needed attention. eleven fine Kempe
windows were in danger and needed restoration. The principal problem
was the condition of the masonry which supported the glass; it had been
repaired with cement which was coming away from the stone, add to this
serious problems with the walls which support the huge roof and it was
apparent that we had a problem! All this has now been completed and it
looks very impressive.

We are now urgently fundraising to complete 3c - the south transept and
the chancel - see page 2.

After this there is still Phase 4 to do - the north side of the nave.