THE HIDDEN history of the Church of St Mary and All Saints in Hampton Lovett, near Droitwich, will soon be revealed thanks to a £100,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.
The cash will also go towards enabling much-needed repairs to be carried out to the historic bell tower and previously hidden priest’s room, restoring both to their former glory.
The church is currently on the Historic England Heritage At Risk register due to the poor condition of the tower.
The funding will enable conservation repairs to be made to both the tower and the stairs and a blocked doorway reopened, all part of the ‘If these walls could talk – revealing secrets at Hampton Lovett church’ project.
Churchwarden Rachel and teasurer Jerry have been leading on the project in the parish.
They said: “St Mary’s Church is a hugely historic building and has played a key role in the local community over the centuries.
“This project with its opportunities to get involved, will encourage many more people to visit and engage with the church and the community’s heritage.
“It’s sad we haven’t really been able to access the priest’s room due to the state of the stairs and the tiny doorway and we’re delighted that thanks to National Lottery players, this grant will enable our church to reveal its secrets once more.”
There will be a number of opportunities for people to engage with the project as the church hosts a hot lime pointing workshop in July and activities at the Heritage Open Day on September 9, including a stone masonry demonstration.
St Mary’s is also looking for volunteers to help with a project to read, sort and record the church archives and to create new displays of the church’s history. University students and local schools will also be working with the church.
Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands and East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Parochial Church Council of Hampton Lovett and the If These Walls Could Talk project.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re able to invest in important projects such as this one, ensuring that heritage represents and reflects local communities, and that this rich history is safeguarded for future generations.”
