A restoration and refurbishment plan is moving forward for the former St. Clement's Congregational Church in Ipswich, with a listed building consent application now submitted for work on the recently listed Grade II building.
One of the clearest masonry-related items in the application is the proposed removal of graffiti from interior surfaces, including masonry, along with woodwork, flooring, and metalwork. The documents note that testing would take place before graffiti removal, a key step on historic fabric where the wrong method can cause permanent damage or drive staining deeper into the substrate.
The application also calls for repair work to a vandalized leaded-light casement window on the north side of the church. Plans indicate the existing glass would be cleaned and reused, with missing pieces replaced using glass close to the original.
Inside, the proposal includes repairs to a damaged staircase behind the dais that leads to the pulpit. The plans say existing handrails and spindles would be refitted, missing spindles replaced, and balustrading installed along the rear of the landing.
The church was listed Grade II on Sept. 8, 2023. The site sits east of Ipswich town centre and is bounded by a car park, Quayside Children's Centre, homes, Back Hamlet, and Long Street. A heritage statement submitted with the application says the work would retain as much original fabric as possible, and specialist contractors named in the documents include Basildon Stone, Elliston Steady Hawes, and Brooks and Wood.
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