A long awaited project to repair Brampton Abbotts church in Herefordshire began on Monday, July 23rd, thanks to a confirmed grant of £215,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The Grade II listed Norman building sits on the edge of the village in a beautiful hilltop setting, with breathtaking views from the churchyard towards Ross-on-Wye and the Forest of Dean.

The grant from HLF will address the major repairs needed to the tower, the roofs, rainwater goods, stonework, the porch, several windows, internal walls and ceilings, and electrics. The work should remove St Michael’s from the Heritage at Risk Register, make it wind and watertight, and give it a sustainable future.

St Michael’s has been a closed Church for 10 years when the repairs required became too much for the local community.

The vital repairs are the first phase of a community regeneration project, known locally as The Daily Bread, which seeks to provide this important heritage building with a sustainable future.

Following the repairs St Michael’s will be converted into an artisan bakery, together with a café and community facilities for all, and worship will still take place there a minimum of six times a year.

A partnership has formed between the Diocese of Hereford and BAcRG, a local Community Interest Company set up specifically to take forward the preservation and regeneration of the building, to secure its future as a multi-use resource for the village – returning it to the heart of the community.

As part of the Heritage Lottery Funding there will be opportunities for local people to learn more about the history of the building which has been at the centre of village life for 800 years. The churchyard has a fine collection of Georgian tombs and a Medieval church yard cross, a Schedule 1 Ancient Monument.

Sam Hine, Project Manager, Brampton Abbotts Church Regeneration Group said: “Local people have been working hard for many years to develop a viable and sustainable business plan for the building and the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund will enable us to finally complete the project.”