Repairs to arson-hit church to take two more years

Work on the chancel roof at All Saints' Church in Mackworth village is due to be finished at the start of next month

Restoration work at a church in Derbyshire gutted by fire in 2020 will take two more years to complete, according to those on the project.

All Saints' Church in Mackworth was targeted by an arsonist who also started fires at two other churches, two schools and a cafe toilet block.

People leading repair work at All Saints' said the chancel roof was due to be finished in December but work on the interior would not finish until 2028.

Jeremy Trott, claims director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: "The restoration of All Saints' has been an incredibly complex project, in part due to the age of the church and its listed status, but also the surrounding land having scheduled monument status."

The fire caused significant damage to Grade I listed All Saints' Church

He added: "We're hoping to have the chancel roof completed in early December but there's still a lot of work to be done before we're able to hand this beautiful Grade I listed building back to the congregation.

"I'd like to thank the teams working on the project and the church community for their ongoing efforts and support."

Project lead Don McLure, who also sits on the parochial church council, said one ornament carved from stone took six months to re-make and the remaining repairs would also take time.

But he added: "People in the village are seeing at last that the roof is going on.

"Once we have got the roof on the chancel we can start on the nave and then once we have got the building water tight, we can then feel a bit more secure to work on the interior redesign."

Mr McLure added the refurbished church would have chairs instead of traditional pews, so they could be moved when local community groups used the building.

All Saints' Church in Mackworth village in Derbyshire still needs works to make it watertight

The church does not have a vicar, but retired priest Chris Dyer has taken the occasional service in the churchyard.

She said: "I think it is going really well [the restoration project]. I think the guys working on the building have been doing magnificently.

"They are here rain, shine, snow, cold and they are doing marvellous work.

"Now people are on site, you can see the possibility of the future is really exciting and encouraging, and people are getting energised again."