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St Michael and All Angels Church

Middlewich

Restoration Project

Introduction

We are engaged in a Restoration Project for the Church Building.  The aim of this project is to improve the facilities in the building and to make repairs and improvements to the building fabric so that it remains structurally sound and an attractive part of Middlewich’s heritage in the decades to come.

Our vision is simply to enable the mission of the Church. We are committed to proclaiming Jesus, praying together and to seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge that we won’t always get things right but we’ll persevere!

Why don’t you come and help us?

Restoration Project

The church is a lovely Grade 2* mediaeval building and the PCC is very aware of its historical importance, its value to the Middlewich community and its responsibility to maintain it. It has always been at the centre of the community and many people in the town consider it to be ‘their church’ even if they are not regular members of the congregation. After about 700 years of regular use, the building is in need of a significant amount of care and maintenance, and would also benefit from internal redevelopment to make the facilities more appropriate for the twenty first century congregation and the local community. The Restoration Project has the aim of preparing the church for use by future generations of Middlewich people.

The project has two aims, the first being to conserve the building by making repairs and improvements to the fabric so that it remains structurally sound and an attractive part of Middlewich’s heritage in the decades to come. The second aim is to improve the facilities within the building so that it can serve the church and community better.

Phases

It is necessary to integrate the conservation work with the provision of facilities in the building so a phased approach has been adopted.  The project is split into three phases:

Phase 1 Roof and rainwater goods replacement and repairs to associated high level masonry over the north aisle including the replacement of two of the Victorian pinnacles. Installation of Heritage Trail (£290k, completed in October 2017)

Phase 2 Kitchenette, toilet and drainage; Venables Screens restoration and relocation; storage; raised floor; seating; heating; electrics; lighting; storage; audio visual equipment; roof; gutters and associated high level masonry over the south aisle; repairs to and public access to the bell tower; improvements to the Heritage Trail and access to historic artefacts (About £1.3m)

Phase 3 Lower level exterior masonry and timber repairs (About £300k)

Consideration is being made to breaking out the provision of mains drainage, a kitchenette and toilets from Phase 2 as Phase 2a.

Conservation of the Church Fabric

This work can broadly be split into three categories:

  • Roof Repairs: There are a number of places where the roof leaks from time to time, and a number of weaknesses in design which make future leakage a significant risk.  The rainwater goods such as gutters and downpipes are in need of replacement, and some of the roof related stonework needs repair
  • Stonework Repairs: Some of the stonework and pointing has been repaired in the past using techniques which do not meet modern construction and conservation standards, and there is also some newer deterioration of stonework and pointing which requires attention.  The Victorian Pinnacles, some of which were removed for safety reasons in 2012, need to be repaired and replaced.  There is also some evidence of movement in the structure which requires further investigation
  • Doors, woodwork and external steps: Most of the external timber needs treating or in some cases replacing and repairs are required to some stone steps.  Handrails are required in some locations to improve safety

Improved Facilities

The continuing presence over the coming decades of a vibrant Christian worshipping congregation is considered to be the best guarantee that the Church building will be maintained and developed for the benefit of the Middlewich community. The building is already used for many community events such as civic services, heritage tours, educational trips and concerts and the needs of the wider community are very much the same as those of the congregation. It is with this in mind that the following developments are proposed.

  • Replacement of the electrical and lighting systems
  • Replacement of the central heating pipework and radiators
  • Provision of an accessible toilet and associated drainage
  • Enhancement of storage
  • Provision of facilities for the making and serving of refreshments
  • Improvement of the south door to make the entrance more welcoming while preserving the existing doors
  • Moving the font to create more space near the south door
  • Relocation of pews with historical value
  • Re use where possible of the materials from the other pews within the building
  • Installation of a raised floor throughout the nave to create a single level area throughout the building
  • Provision of moveable seating throughout to supplement the historically valuable pews

Benefits of the Proposed Development

  • The preservation of the Chancel, Lady Chapel and historically valuable pews ensures that many of the features valued by the church and wider communities are preserved
  • The flexibility and accessibility of the new layout combined with improvements to lighting, heating and electrical systems and sanitary facilities will make the building suitable for many more uses by both the congregation and the wider community. Particular benefit will be to the work with families and young people and the use of the building for concerts
  • Improvements to lighting, heating and the electrical system will bring the systems up to modern standards, reduce safety risks, save energy and running costs, enhance the visibility of building features and make it more comfortable
  • The provision of food preparation and toilet facilities and the levelling of the floor ensure that we will be compliant with hygiene and disability legislation
  • New seating will be more comfortable, will provide greater flexibility and will be less obstructive to emergency services
  • Overall, the building will be more user friendly and this will encourage people to come to church and community events

Cost, Control, and Consultation

The internal development will cost in the order of £600,000, and the work on the fabric of the building will cost about £1m. This amount is greatly in excess of the available resources, and raising it will require the exercise of faith and a great deal of prayer and hard work. It is expected that the programme will take about 10 years to complete.

All work to the building is regulated by the Diocese of Chester (Listed Building and Conservation Area issues) and by Cheshire East Council (Planning Permission).  No work will be carried out to the building without the necessary permits having been obtained.

The diocesan authorities, statutory bodies, congregation and community will be consulted at various stages of development, and any comments will be gratefully received.