The ceiling of a 12th-century village church has been restored to its former glory thanks to a legacy and a generous donation.
Sussex builders Parker and Son used scaffolding to get close enough to the seven-metre high ceiling of Grade II* listed St Mary’s Church in Northim.
The work was all completed in a month – in time for the church’s harvest festival.
Church Warden Geoff Brown said: “The paint on the ceiling was beginning to peel off and had been in need of repair for several years as the last time the ceiling was painted was in the 1970s.
“The work has uplifted the whole church and we’ve had lots of positive comments from the congregation and visitors.
“We chose Parker & Son because of their experience with renovating churches.
“We were very impressed by the care the team took over the work. They did a brilliant job and there was no mess, in fact everything was left spotless.
“It was important to do the work properly and make sure the church is here for future generations. It has given our beautiful church a real uplifting feeling.”
James Parker – the fourth generation of his family to run the family firm Parker and Son – said: “We were delighted to work on this stunning church and help to bring it back to its former glory.
“We liaised with the architect JD Clarke and sourced a special breathable paint as well as carrying out some repairs to the lime plaster. The team worked really hard to finish the work on time while being careful and diligent so as little disruption as possible was caused.”
St Mary’s ceiling has large intersecting squares which are punctuated where they cross with beautiful clusters of gold leaves.
The ceiling is just one of the eye-catching features of the church along with stunning stained-glass windows.
The most famous feature of St Mary’s, however, is the octagonal stone spire, one of only four mediaeval ones in the county, and the tallest.
Special, breathable paint was sourced to match the original blue paint as closely as possible. All work and materials had to be approved by the Diocese and Advisory Committee.
