St. Mary & St. Hardulph Church

There has been a place of worship in Breedon since about 676AD. Although the original priory buildings are long gone the renowned Anglo-Saxon carvings have been incorporated into the 'new' building which was built around the 12th century with other parts of the church added over the following couple of centuries.

The pews date from around 1850 and the East Window was made around 1900.

The present building is 'Grade 1 Listed' so all repairs etc are carefully monitored and have to be approved.

Quinquennial

Every 5 years all churches are subjected to a thorough survey by an Architect who examines the structure, monuments, belfry, graveyard etc and produces a report outlining what condition the church is in and what remedial work needs to be carried out over the next 5 years. The report estimates the cost of each repair and the urgency of the work.

Last year we had our quinquennial and alas it was not all good news!

Whilst the building appears fine on the outside and also in the public areas, closer inspection reveals remedial work is required especially in the tower...don’t worry it isn’t going to collapse yet so you are safe for the time being.

What work needs to be done?

Over the centuries the sandstone in various locations has eroded away and some of the timber in the tower is showing signs of age and needs attention.

Unfortunately, we can’t just fill the holes with rubble and cement as they did in the past, the stonework will require the attention of specialist stonemasons.

The total cost of repairs are estimated to be in the region of £130,000.

So what are we doing about it?

Well, we do have some funds available but not enough to cover the cost of all the repairs.

As the building and contents are historically important we are seeking to raise funds through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Crowdfunding and other fund raising avenues as well as some fund raising events.