MUCH-NEEDED repairs have been made to an ancient church as part of a big restoration project.

St Andrew’s Church in Greenstead, Colchester, has had required work completed on its roof.

The project, costing £63,000, included comprehensive retiling and structural repairs to help weatherproof and preserve the Grade II heritage-listed building from further damage.

As well as this, masonry repairs were carried out to six windows and the flint walls have been repointed. 

Handmade clay roof tiles were installed too, each of which features a hidden surprise for future generations - the handprint of the individual who crafted the tile.  

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It comes after an impassioned plea was made by vicar the Rev Sue Howlett and ordinand Sam Lees back in October.

The pair launched a fundraiser seeking to gather vital funds to save the church and raised more than 1,000 through it.

To help cover the remaining costs of the project, the church applied to Enovert Community Trust for grant support and received a £25,000 grant for the repairs. 

Enovert Community Trust provided its grant through the Landfill Communities Fund, a tax credit scheme which enables Landfill Operators to contribute money to a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites.

St Andrew’s is located at the heart of the Greenstead estate and dates back more than 1,000 years to the 11th century.

It was used by Parliamentary troops during the Siege of Colchester in the summer of 1648 and there is evidence of recycled Roman material in part of the walls.

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Ms Howlett said: “We are delighted that the project has now been completed and the church roof is once again weathertight.  

“The new tiles are now in place and look fantastic, with the handmade tiles almost indistinguishable from the originals.

“It is lovely to think that future generations will discover the hidden handprints when the roof eventually needs further work – which I hope is many years from now.

“The repair work was very timely, as any delay would have allowed further damage and, with rising material and contractor costs, waiting to carry out the repairs in the future could have become prohibitively expensive.”