Group to raise £250,000 to save Ashford Hill church

A GROUP is forming in Ashford Hill to raise funds to restore the roof and spire of the church, after the vicar revealed that an estimated £250,000 was needed.

At a packed public meeting at the Grade II-listed St Paul’s Church, Ashford Hill Road, last Monday, the Rev Lucy Thirtle, who has been vicar at the church for eight years, said that a recent architectural inspection had revealed a problem of damp at the church, which was built in 1845.

The damp would cost an estimated minimum of £50,000 to rectify, while the “entire roof of the church was in very poor order, with greenery growing out of the spire,” she said.

“There are also problems with the fabric of the spire, which will require in the order of £200,000.”

Ms Thirtle, vicar of the united benefice of Kingsclere and Ashford Hill with Headley, scotched rumours that St Paul’s church was to close and the site to be developed for housing.

“I want to say right now that neither of these things is going to happen. Certainly not in the short term, or in the medium term, and we are here tonight to make sure it doesn’t happen in the long term.” said Ms Thirtle.

The biggest challenge, she added, was not raising the cash, but finding people to take on the jobs of organisers, builders and, initially, scaffolders – one villager pointed out the cost of erecting scaffolding alone could be some £50,000.

Former churchwarden Tom Sneyd said that it was hoped that Greenham Common Trust could be enlisted to provide some financial help.

Georgie Selby, the landlady of the Ship Inn, Ashford Hill, whose late father, the Rev Reg Rabbetts, was the vicar of St Paul’s until his retirement in the 1980s, said that the church had “a fantastic energy”, adding “We want to make sure it develops and grows.”

Two Headley villagers who have stepped forward to lead the project are Patrick Dring, who works for a London property company, and churchwarden Penny Stewart. Hopes were expressed that more villagers from Ashford Hill would volunteer to help save the church building.

Following fundraising by Mr Sneyd 25 years ago, it has been fitted with a flexible seating arrangement, a kitchen and toilets, and had large car park, to make it suitable for community events.

A further public meeting is likely to be held in the autumn, after firm estimates of the cost of repairs have been obtained.

An inspection is carried out every five years at all Church of England buildings by an architect or chartered building surveyor, approved by the diocesan advisory committee.