Church needs more than £100,000 for tower repairs

The Reverend Dave Gough said the church was the "gateway to Worksop"

A Grade II-listed church in Nottinghamshire is facing a bill of more than £100,000 to repair its tower.

The sandstone tower of St Anne's Church in Worksop has suffered erosion and water damage.

The Reverend Dave Gough said the damage was threatening the structural integrity of the tower.

He said he hoped the community would get behind a fundraising campaign to help restore the structure.

The church began its fundraising campaign in August

Mr Gough said half of the bill would be paid for by fundraising, while an application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund had gone in for the remainder.

Repairs need to be made within the next six to nine months, and it is hoped enough money will be raised in order for work to start in spring 2026.

Mr Gough said: "The tower was starting to show signs on the outside during the dry weather and we noticed the front of the stones had started to erode away.

"An architect came in to have a look and basically, on the roof, the drainage hasn't been working properly.

"Because it's sandstone, as the rain's been falling on the roof, it's been soaking into the stone.

"We've had some quotes in from builders and they're all in the range of £105,000 to £130,000."

Online campaign

The damage came to light following a routine inspection of the building earlier this year.

Activities and events like weddings and funerals have been able to continue, but some services may have to stop while work is carried out.

Mr Gough said he hoped the local community would come together to help raise the funds needed to carry out the work.

So far, an online fundraising campaign has raised more than £3,500 towards the repairs.

"The church has been there over 110 years," Mr Gough added. "It's the gateway to Worksop, and people know the church because of the tower.

"By doing this restoration work we're keeping the church and its history safe for future generations."