The Friends of Bishopstone Church was established in 1974 to assist the Parochial Church Council in raising funds to preserve and maintain the fabric of the church, its beauty and traditions.
Immediate repairs were carried out over the first five years:
the Chancel roof was stripped, wooden timbers replaced, felted and the tiles replaced;
similar repairs were carried out to the Nave roof;
the majority of the windows were replaced, as were sections of the mullions;
masonry was re-pointed and repaired.
In 1995 a careful restoration of a medieval pew in the Chancel was carried out. In 1997 it was the turn of the tower when roof members were replaced and the roof recovered.
In 2002 the nave was closed for 12 months whilst the ceiling was replaced because of death-watch beetle infestation. Fortunately there was considerable financial support from English Heritage.
We are inviting help to increase our funds so that the work of conservation can continue and a unique church preserved. Will you help? Gifts of any size, regular donations by standing order, donations by CAF, of shares or by leaving donations in a Will are all welcome. Some of these may have tax advantages. We would be happy to provide information (see contact details on forms).
The application form to become a Friend of Bishopstone Church is available on the link below, together with Gift Aid and Standing Order Mandate forms. Simply print off and send to the address indicated.
Recently, there has been mention in the media of property owners discovering that they have a responsibility for paying for repairs to their local church. This is known as Chancel Repair Liability whereby a parochial church council can require owners of former church land to meet the cost of repairing the church chancel. The Bishopstone Parochial Church Council has undertaken research regarding the question of Chancel Repair Liability in the Parish of Bishopstone and Stratford Tony. This is information which might be of interest to potential buyers and sellers of property. Further details may be obtained from the PCC Secretary, Geoff Taylor – 01722 503081, taylorgeoffreyc@gmail.com
