Repairs start on church tower at risk of falling

The tower restoration will ensure the decommissioned church is preserved

Work is to begin on a Grade II listed church tower that has been deemed at risk of falling on to surrounding town centre pavements.

St Lawrence Church, on Dial Lane in Ipswich, is currently used as a community cafe and it will have its flint and stone work restored after plans were approved in November 2024.

It came after inspections by Ipswich Borough Council in December 2023 found certain parts of the tower were bulging and at risk of falling.

The proposed works will ensure the decommissioned church is preserved and continues to operate as a community hub and cafe.

The church tower (pictured in 2019) rises over the narrow, pedestrianised Dial Lane shopping street

Protective scaffolding was put in place to ensure the safety of the public until repair work started.

The medieval church, which is leased by the Ipswich Historic Churches Trust, houses the oldest circle of church bells in the world.

In 2023, the church became the backdrop for Amazon Prime's period drama Boudica: Queen of War, which looked at the failed revolt against the Roman Empire by the East Anglian tribal ruler.

Other parts of the show were also filmed in Ipswich.