Students use summer school to repair church roof

Amy Walter repointing the parapet with lime mortar

Heritage craft trainees have helped with repairs to the roof and masonry of a Grade II* church that dates back to the 1750s.

The works to the Church of St John the Evangelist on North Road in Lancaster formed part of a summer school run by Historic England (HE) for 17 trainees.

HE awarded the church a grant of £574,000 to carry out the repairs to the roof and the structure underneath, which have now been completed after it was damaged during Storm Desmond in 2015.

Those from Lancaster and Morecambe College learned skills including hot lime mortar mixing, slate roofing, stonemasonry, plastering, joinery and mud masonry on site from master craftspeople.

Students from Lancaster and Morecambe College learned skills from master craftspeople

The church was badly damaged during Storm Desmond in 2015

Florence Salberter, HE's heritage projects manager in the North West, said: "Bringing different skills together gives a very rich learning environment".

"To actually work on the building with experienced people and learn from them is not something you can learn from college," she said. "You have to be doing it, you have to see it on site."

It gave the trainees an "amazing experience", she added.

The church, in the heart of the city's conservation area, was once used for concerts, community events and home to a fair-trade café.

However, this came to an end in 2015 following severe flooding during Storm Desmond, which led to deterioration in the condition of the building, including dry and wet rot outbreaks.

It is now hoped the church can become a community hub.