All Church Towers are high and difficult to maintain. A simple leak through the roof can go unnoticed for years and cause untold damage to the building structure. Essential roof repairs at St Albans Church Macclesfield were undertaken to address this very problem.

A roof repair to a Pugin Tower however has to be done with great care and thought to preserve what the great man designed.

St Albans Church Macclesfield is such a Tower. Built in 1840 from a Pugin design the top of the Tower boasts a fine lead pyramid roof. Around the unusual perimeter are laid large flagstones in a castellated pattern.

The problem

Over the years water has managed to seep through the joints of the flags and rotted the support timbers holding up the heavy lead roof. Internal access to the roof was also precarious via a 30 foot ancient timber ladder. Therefore the access inside the Tower had to be brought up to modern day standards.

Work undertaken

Our first job was to take down the Tower walls and expose the rotting beam ends. Our specialist timber conservators managed to replace the timber whilst secreting hidden extra stainless steel supports inside. The benefits are that we achieved a modern structural support without losing the character of the timber structure.

Once the supports were complete the Tower walls were built back up, new timbers introduced into the pyramid paneling and new lead gutters laid with new outlets and rainwater goods. The icing on the cake was to replace the Belgian batten rolled lead covering.

In times gone by maintenance workers would walk freely around the top of the Tower to clear gutters, but today’s health and safety standards dictate that we need to reduce all known risks, therefore we fitted a bespoke fall arrest system around the perimeter of the roof and a new cage ladder inside.

After the roof was finished, the Tower benefited from various new stone indents, carvings and re pointing.

The Essential roof repairs at St Albans Church Macclesfield have helped to preserve the integrity of this Perpendicular styled Tower for future generations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location
St Albans Church Macclesfield Cheshire
Summary

Vital roof support works and lead covering

New rainwater goods

Essential wall stabilization

Stone carving and pointing

 

newly supported and lead covered Church tower roof

I am writing to acknowledge, with thanks, the work done on St Alkmund’s in Whitchurch over the last 12 months. It’s been good to work with you, including through some difficult times.

Reverand Judy Hunt at St Alkmunds Church Whitchurch
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