Several Norfolk churches are set for restoration work after being named among 11 heritage sites in the East of England receiving support through national arts and heritage funding.
The projects are part of first-round grants from the Places of Worship Renewal Fund. In Norfolk, the sites include Cromer Methodist Church, King’s Lynn Minster, St Peter’s Church and St Andrew’s Church in Great Yarmouth, St Nicholas’ Chapel in King’s Lynn, and St Nicholas’ Church in Dereham.
The funding sits within a wider £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund. The announcement also notes £4 million awarded across the East of England through the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.
For mason contractors and restoration teams, two scopes stand out for masonry-related work. King’s Lynn Minster is set to receive support for urgent repairs to its north transept, including restoration of historic masonry in the transept wall. At St Nicholas’ Church in Dereham, which has a history spanning more than 1,300 years, planned work includes restoring St Withburga’s well and rare Plantagenet and Tudor ceiling paintings in the north transept.
Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said historic buildings at the heart of communities can suffer from issues such as leaking roofs and “crumbling stonework,” and that the funding is intended to help keep these buildings open for years to come.
Historic England said its first grants through the two funds will support 74 projects across England, with more than £41 million being invested. The grants are also aimed at places where raising money locally can be difficult, even when the buildings provide clear community benefits.
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