Context 74 - May 2002

# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 9 4HE CHANCEL IS A MUCH MORE TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION IN GOTHIC REVIVAL STYLE WITH RENDERED BRICKWORK WALLS CUT STONE WINDOW SURROUNDS WITH DIRECT GLAZED STAINED GLASS AND A #OLLYWESTON STONE SLATE ROOF TO MATCH THE NAVE 4HE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THIS BUILDING DEMONSTRATES #OMPER S THEORY OF DESIGN IN RELATION TO ECCLESIASTICAL BUILDINGS 4HE NAVE IS A SIMPLY CONCEIVED SPACE FOCUSING ON THE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT AND ELABORATELY DECORATED CHANCEL AND ALTAR 4HE TIMBER FRAMED NAVE ADJOINING A MORE TRADITIONAL MASONRY CHANCEL HAS BEEN USED ARCHITECTURALLY BY #OMPER AND "UCKNALL TO ARTICULATE THIS DIFFERENCE WHICH CAN BE READ AS EASILY FROM THE OUTSIDE AS FROM THE INSIDE 4HE CHURCH APPROACHED ARCHITECTS 2ANCE "OOTH AND 3MITH IN TO HELP IN RESTORING THE BUILDING 3URVEYS DESIGN WORKS AND STUDIES BEGAN IN 2EPORTS WERE PRODUCED TO SUPPORT THE PARISH S BIDS FOR GRANT FUNDING FROM A NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONS -EETINGS WERE HELD ON SITE WITH %NGLISH (ERITAGE ARCHITECTS CONSERVATION OFFICER "OB 3CRIVEN OF 3OUTH (OLLAND $ISTRICT #OUNCIL THE ,INCOLN $IOCESAN !DVISORY #OMMITTEE AND ULTIMATELY *OHN "UCKNALL WHO WAS THE ADVISORY ARCHITECT FOR THE (ISTORIC #HURCHES 0RESERVATION 4RUST *OHN "UCKNALL IS A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF 7ILLIAM "UCKNALL AND HIS DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF #OMPER AND "UCKNALL S WORK WAS OF GREAT BENEFIT 'RANTS WERE OBTAINED FROM THE ,INCOLNSHIRE (ISTORIC #HURCHES 4RUST 72%. ,ANDFILL AND 3OUTH (OLLAND $ISTRICT #OUNCIL 4HE LARGEST SINGLE FUNDING PACKAGE WAS FROM THE (ISTORIC #HURCHES 0RESERVATION 4RUST WHICH CONSIDERED THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ONE OF ITS MILLENNIUM GRANTS 7ORK BEGAN IN /CTOBER AND COMPLETION WAS ACHIEVED IN !PRIL 4HE MAIN WORK INVOLVED REPLACING STRUCTURAL TIMBER WHICH HAD BADLY DECAYED /THER STRUCTURAL WORKS WERE NEEDED TO STABILIZE THE BUILDING 4HE WHOLE OF THE X INCH OAK SOLE PLATE HAD COMPLETELY DECAYED AND THE DECAY HAD SPREAD TO THE FEET OF THE MAIN STRUCTURAL FRAMES REQUIRING EXTENSIVE RENEWAL 4HE 7EST GABLE WAS IN VERY POOR CONDITION WITH THE DECAYED SOLE PLATE AND INTERMEDIATE FRAMEWORK CAUSING MOST OF THE WALL TO BOW OUTWARDS -OST OF THE PEGS IN THE MORTICE AND TENON JOINTS HAD BROKEN DUE TO THE MOVEMENT IN THE GABLE 4HIS WALL HAD BEEN SUPPORTED BY SCAFFOLDING SINCE ! SIMILAR SITUATION HAD OCCURRED WITH THE SOUTH FACING VESTRY GABLE WHICH THE CHURCH HAD TEMPORARILY SUPPORTED SINCE !GAIN MANY OF THE PEGGED MORTICE AND TENON JOINTS HAD OPENED UP AND THE PEGS WERE BROKEN )N ORDER TO REPLACE THE SOLE PLATE AND THE BASE OF THE MAIN FRAMES ALL THE BRICK INFILL BELOW WINDOWSILL LEVEL WAS REMOVED BRICKS REDRESSED AND CAREFULLY RE WALLED 4HE EXISTING SLATE DAMP PROOF COURSE HAD BEEN CONSIDERED SUSPECT FOR SOME TIME )NVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT IT HAD BEEN BRIDGED BY THE CONCRETE GROUND SLAB WHICH SUPPORTED THE TIMBER FLOOR ! NEW DAMP PROOF COURSE WAS INSERTED UNDER THE SOLE PLATE AND BETWEEN IT AND THE CONCRETE TO PREVENT MOISTURE INGRESS INTO THE OAK WHICH WAS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF THE DECAY 4HE MAIN FRAMES HAD TO BE TEMPORARILY SUPPORTED TO ALLOW THE OLD SOLE PLATE TO BE REMOVED AND THE NEW ONE INSERTED 4HE FOOT OF THE MAIN POST WAS THEN REPAIRED WITH A SPLICED JOINT WHICH WAS SECURED BY STAINLESS STEEL DOWELS 4O AVOID PROPPING THE WHOLE BUILDING THE WORK WAS CARRIED OUT ONE FRAME AT A 4HE VESTRY UNDER REPAIR ,EFT A BROKEN MORTICE AND TENON JOINT CAUSED BY MOVEMENT IN THE GABLE RIGHT THE 3OUTH ELEVATION UNDERGOING REPAIRS

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