Work begins on site at St Mary Shawbury
Work started on site in December, with the erection of scaffolding to the tower.
When we were able to go up the scaffold to look at the stonework, it was clear that it needed a lot of work to make it safe. Some of the joints had no mortar left, and much of the stone was weathered, leaving hollows which could hold water. The face of the stone was loose in many places and needed to be brushed clear.
On the positive side, the main tower roof timbers were better than expected. Although there was some rot and insect damage to the sapwood, there was still plenty of strength left in them. The laths were mostly rotten, but many of the tiles could be re-used.
The next task is to insert a steel framework to support the roof timbers and stop them pushing the stonework out.