Repairs costing thousands of pounds will be carried out on a landmark town church to replace crumbling stones on the 150-year-old structure.
The United Reformed Church by the English Bridge is facing the pay-out three years after it was discovered that a group of up to seven stones, which make up the top of the main entrance’s outside wall, were disintegrating due to the elements. A conservation team from Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council has been called in to assess the situation, with all work due to take at least a month and a half to complete.
Bob Blackaby, church property manager, said scaffolding had been set up on the Grade II listed church earlier this week. The work, funded by the church, is expected to cost several thousand pounds.
He said: “Over the years we have to do this kind of work and what is being done now hasn’t been done before. Bits of stonework have to be replaced at different times, but these are in quite an exposed position. The driving rain has soaked into the stonework and started to dry it up,” he said.
“The stones will have to match and that’s what the builders have to do. An SABC conservation team is involved because it is a listed building.
“It will involve cutting out defective stones and putting new ones back. Allowing for the stones to be made, this will take about six weeks.”