• History & Architecture,  Restoration

    Organ progress

    Our William Gray pipe organ has been undergoing restoration for several years now, and the pipes lying on the top of pews after being cleaned and painted have almost become a permanent fixture. Last week we were delighted to welcome Philip and Karen Cartwright of Cartwright Pipe Organ Builders Ltd. to install the pipes back to where they belong. It…

  • Restoration

    Repointing again

    Last week we welcomed back steeplejacks Sam and James to continue the task of repointing the harder to reach areas of Christ Church. Repointing these exposed elements of the building has a huge impact on reducing the water ingress. A surprising amount of rainwater seeps down through the stones, getting in where the mortar is missing. The focus for this…

  • Restoration

    More re-pointing.

    Last week we welcomed back steeplejacks Sam, James and Mike to complete repairs on the more hard to reach areas of the church. The north-east finials were in dire need of re-pointing as water ingress was becoming more of an obvious problem. After a busy week, and with Karl working on one of the easier to reach finials, the north…

  • Christ Church Living,  History & Architecture,  Restoration

    Tower repairs.

    One major aspect of the restoration of Christ Church is the repair of the Tower. It is the part of the building that causes the most worry, especially during a stromy night! At 110ft tall access is clearly an issue. In the past we have hired a cherry picker to get to where we can to check over the stonework…

  • Christ Church Living,  Restoration

    While the sun shines…

    The past few weeks have been full of glorious spring sunshine which has made this strange situation that we all find ourselves in so much more bearable. Making the most of having more time on our hands during this fine weather, our little garden is undergoing a bit of a makeover including the creation of vegetable beds; a job we…

  • Restoration

    Watertight

    We could not have been more blessed this week with perfect weather to strip a roof. The north aisle roof is now watertight after a great week’s work by Henry Powell Roofing Contractors of Oswestry. And while it is scaffolded there are lots of other repairs and maintanence jobs we can finally get done over the coming weeks, not least…

  • History & Architecture,  Restoration

    Up in the Air

    A few weeks ago we hired a ‘cherry picker’ to access the higher reaches of the building to do some re-pointing and to check over the guttering. We were able to get a lift that goes higher (up to 21 metres) than we have previously been able to which was great for reaching the nave roof guttering and for getting…

  • History & Architecture,  News,  Restoration

    Beginning to Restore the Organ

    We are pleased to say that work has started on restoring the 206 year old William Gray organ. Mike and Ethan of Edwards & Co. Organ Builders of Chester are overseeing the restoration and kindly sharing their invaluable knowledge and experience with us. With Karl assisting, the larger pipes were brought out to be inspected and cleaned. Many years worth…