St Mary's Church, Wenvoe Appeal
Helping to maintain our historic church
£60,000 needed to restore the tower!
A shocking report from the architect. The tower needs repointing. The restoration work has been costed, tenders accepted but £60,000 is needed before work can begin.
Our special correspondent reports below.
A shocking report
The architect's report came as a shock to the congregation of St Mary's and the wider Wenvoe community. The background to this sad story? In February 2021, an architectural inspection of the tower was undertaken following the discovery of fallen mortar and masonry at the base of the tower and to a lesser degree, the porch. Subsequently, a detailed rope access inspection was undertaken by steeplejacks to all four elevations of the tower. The steeplejacks reported that the pointing and masonry on all elevations was in poor condition with it being either loose, falling out or hollow behind, which in time would also become loose. Small amounts of plant growth were seen on all elevations with loose lead flashing on the north elevation over the outbuilding. Imminently falling pointing and masonry was removed at the time, but it is expected that more will become loose, especially when winter frosts set in. The base around the tower has therefore been cordoned off as a safety precaution. A spokesman for St Mary's said that the church hopes to undertake restoration this year as another winter would see more falling mortar and masonry which would compromise the watertight integrity of the building. An appeal for funds has been launched. Please consider donating either by clicking the Donate button below. If you wish to donate by cheque, made payable to St Mary’s church Wenvoe, send it directly to the church's treasurer: The Treasurer, St Mary's church, Old Port Road, Wenvoe, CF5 6AL.
If you are a UK taxpayer St Mary's can claim an extra 20% from HMRC on top of your donation as Gift Aid. Please write your address on the back of your cheque.
If you would like to make an on-line BACS donation, the church's bank details are: St Mary’s church Wenvoe, 08-90-03 50192159. Please include the reference TOWER
About St Mary's
The earliest mention of a church in Wenvoe was 1064. The present building is 12th century, added to in the 17th century and greatly enhanced in the 19th century. In 1991 the north transept was built.
St Mary's is a Grade 2* listed building and as such it takes an enormous amount of money just to keep the building in good condition. As with all ancient buildings the church needs a great deal of care and constant attention to meet the exacting standards set by Cadw and the Church in Wales. Costs are high and even small repairs can run to thousands of pounds.
Every generation has diligently cared for St Mary's. Now it's our turn.
Saint Mary's Appeal
By supporting St Mary's Appeal you will be helping to ensure that our ancient parish church is there for all especially our children, grandchildren and generations to come
If you would like to donate in another way, with a chance of winning a prize, join our 200 Club. £12 a year buys a share and the numbers are drawn each month. A half of the income goes to the building fund, and a half goes back to shareholders as prizes.
For further details and an entry form contact Dickon Oliver,
email <dickonoliver@yahoo.ie>
telephone 02920 679108.
Get involved
Were you married or baptised in St Mary's? Is someone you love buried in the churchyard?
Do you worship in St Mary's or have moved away? Do you love the beautiful peaceful churchyard?
Do you treasure the ancient building?
Could you organise a fundraising event?
CONTACT US!
