Church of the Week
Shillingstone, Dorset
Holy Rood in Shillingstone, Dorset, has been hit by three roof repairs in three years. Church repairs are paid for by local congregations – and suddenly this rural church had to find over £300,000 to fix the roofs and make the church watertight and windproof once more. The team split the roof project into three phases, concentrating on the collapsed north aisle roof first. Next was the chancel roof. This had six leaks, which threatened to damage its stunning painted ceiling. And the final roof to be repaired is in the nave and the porch.
There has been a lot of anxiety among the volunteers at Holy Rood that the roof will collapse before they have chance to repair it. This would render the church unusable for worship and would damage the heritage inside, including the ceiling in the nave, which was decorated by renowned Gothic Revival architect GF Bodley (1827 -1907), whose designs influenced the Arts & Crafts movement.
Thankfully help is a hand for this final stage of roof repairs. On the recommendation of the National Churches Trust, Holy Rood will receive a £11,235 Wolfson Fabric Repair Grant from the Wolfson Foundation. This completes the fundraising for the roof and means the repairs can now take place. From gargoyles on the tower to impressive stained glass – there's lots to enjoy at Holy Rood.
View Shillingstone Holy Rood
