The tower of St Peter’s Church, in Brighton, can be seen once again after 11 years shrouded in scaffolding.
And the scaffolding has come down at a time when the church said attendances were rising – not just at St Peter’s but across what is sometimes known as Britain’s most godless city.
Restoration work is not complete at St Peter’s but significant progress has been made and the church said: “The latest phase of works has seen much of the scaffold finally coming down, allowing a clearer view of the church for the first time in several years.
“The lower two levels of scaffold will remain for the time being to support the next stages of work and to ensure continued access for maintenance.
“This current phase has focused on stabilising and restoring key structural elements of the tower, alongside the cleaning and repair of the stonework.
“However, three of the large pinnacles have not yet been rebuilt. These decorative and highly complex stone features require specialist craftsmanship, and the cost of their restoration is expected to be in excess of seven figures.
“We do fully intend to restore and replace these pinnacles as part of a future phase once the necessary funding has been secured.
“In the meantime, we have received temporary faculty permission to install concrete caps to protect the structure and ensure its long-term stability while fundraising continues.
“Looking ahead, the next stages will also address restoration of the lower part of the tower and the surrounding areas of the building.
“We remain enormously grateful to our funders – including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other partner organisations – whose support has made the current phase possible.”
The project to restore a church sometimes known as Brighton’s cathedral dates back further. The church said: “In 2012, a loose piece of masonry fell from the tower.
“Immediately after, the surrounding area was deemed unsafe. From this moment, a team was gathered to begin a fundraising campaign to raise enough money to instal a scaffold over the entirety of the tower.
“This was to both ensure its safety and begin to discover the work required in order to restore the tower for future generations to enjoy.
“It wasn’t until two years later, in 2014, that the scaffolding was finally installed and works to inspect the status of the building could begin.
“The restoration work didn’t start until sometime later. But in 2017, the very top of the tower had been repaired and some progress could be made in dismantling the scaffold.
“In November 2020, St Peter’s was one of 445 heritage organisations across the country to receive a lifesaving financial boost from the government through the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, helping to safeguard important heritage sites through the pandemic.
“St Peter’s received £245,000, enabling emergency repairs to the lower, unrestored sections of the tower.
“The current phase began in autumn 2024 and has delivered further vital restoration and conservation work, helping to secure the tower’s structure and preserve the building for future generations.
“We are deeply thankful to all who have supported this project – funders, contractors and members of the local community – for their continued patience and encouragement as we work towards the full restoration of Brighton’s iconic St Peter’s Church.
“How can you help? We are so grateful for the generous support of many trusts and foundations including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Churches Trust, American Express, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Sussex Historic Churches and All Churches Trust.
“We would also like to thank Historic England for their ongoing support and advice.
“If you’d like to donate, use our JustGiving page.”
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