Holy Trinity Church is to receive a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund of £21,800 to undertake surveys, reports and investigations into the condition of the church roof with the aim of securing a further grant of £195,000 from HLF for a new roof at the end of 2016. They have received a first round pass which means that HLF believes the project has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money.
The roof is currently in a dire state with church volunteers forced to put out dozens of buckets during Sunday services to catch the rain during heavy downpours.
The church needs to replace the eroded asphalt roof which was put into Holy Trinity during the 1970s and the estimated cost of this will be around £274,000.
Thanks to National Lottery players the essential survey work can now take place to inform the second round application, which will also include a public engagement project where a webcam will be linked to the roof to allow viewing of the works.
Heritage Lottery Funding has been awarded to help secure the fabric of this historically important building and retain a key historic asset in the City Centre. The important history of the building since it was founded in 1285 and as the Civic Church for the city since 1661 helped secure the funding to restore the roof. The history of the city is reflected throughout Holy Trinity with William Wilberforce MP worshiping in Holy Trinity and being baptised in the Medieval Font and significant maritime memorials throughout the church recognising the importance of the sea to Hull and those who have worshiped at Holy Trinity through the ages. For over 700 years’ people have gathered to worship in Holy Trinity and adapted the building to suit the needs of the time, during the civil war horses were stabled within the church and the 19th century saw significant growth and remodelling of the church and the installation of many of the stained glass windows that can be seen today.
The Revd Canon Dr Neal Barnes, vicar of Holy Trinity, said: “We are delighted that this desperately -needed work can now begin, thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Whilst exciting things have been happening at Holy Trinity over recent years and we have great plans for its future, without water-tight roofs, our services and activities are so often compromised by the dispiriting sight and sound of dripping water! With the completion of this work, we will be able to enjoy the building to the full as our ambitious plans for the future come to fruition.Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire and Humber, said; “There is a place of worship in almost every ward, village and town across the Yorkshire and Humber region, providing a very powerful visual connection with our past. This grant will not only secure the immediate future of this historic building, but will enable the community and visitors to get involved and learn about the significant part this church has played in local and national history .”
It is anticipated that the development and investigation phase of the roof work will be completed by the autumn with the major works undertaken by the end of 2017. There will be little disruption to the life of Holy Trinity with all services and activities able to continue within the church while the roof works are undertaken.
York-based conservation practice Ferrey and Mennim have been appointed as the Project Architects to support the delivery of the roof project. Director, Andrew Boyce, said: "We are delighted to be continuing our work with the PCC at Holy Trinity, having been involved with fabric repair issues since 1999. The nave roof repair is a major piece of work and will be crucial in allowing the Church's development to continue over the coming decades.