Church 'will not survive' unless roof is fixed

A "hidden gem" church which was ransacked by lead thieves needs urgent donations to save its damaged roof.

All Saints' Church, in Alton Priors, Wiltshire, has only had temporary fixes, such as plastic sheeting and a rubber-style roof, since lead was stripped off the roof in 2015.

A church spokesperson said a new roof was needed for the 900-year-old church at an estimated cost of £100,000.

Maggie Faultless, leading the local community raising money for the church, said: "Without a roof, no building will survive. We owe it to the building to intervene now and make sure that doesn't happen."

Her ensemble, Music for Awhile, has raised thousands for the church's new roof by hosting concerts in recent years.

Faultless, who is originally from Birmingham, moved to Alton Priors in 1994 and launched the group soon after.

Music for Awhile first performed in All Saints' on Midsummer's Day in 1996.

"The building itself seemed to love the music," she said. "It was a really profound experience."

The group has since raised thousands for the church as well as charities such as the Prospect Hospice and Brain Tumour Charity.

They have also performed at the church every year since 1996 bar one - when the foot-and-mouth outbreak meant people could not cross the rural field which leads to the building.

The Church Conservation Trust (CCT), which cares for 359 buildings at risk, has described the repairs needed to the church's roof as "urgent".

The rubberoid roof membrane currently in place at the church was meant to be an "interim measure" designed to keep the 12th Century structure watertight while the trust raised funds for a permanent replacement.

"This would be a complete replacement of the material that was stolen," said Philippa Wood, local community officer for the West branch of the CCT.

"It's very important to get this work done as soon as possible so it is as safe as possible for future generations."

Wood also pointed to aspects of the building which make it "really special", such as a Sarsen stone discovered beneath the floor and a Yew Tree in the churchyard which dates back 1,700 years.

Due to the condition of the church, there are no regular services at All Saints' but it is open 24/7 for visitors and can host weddings, funerals and baptisms as well as up to six services each year.

Other churches in Wiltshire for which the CCT is responsible include St Giles' Church in Imber, St Mary's Church in Wilton and St Nicholas' Church in Fisherton Delamere.

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