Vicar's fear for church with angelic ceiling

The "host of heaven" is St Wendreda's 500-year-old wooden roof decorated with carved angels

A vicar is afraid that a church with a celebrated 500-year-old timber ceiling could be placed on an at-risk list unless £250,000 was raised to pay for repairs.

The Reverend Ruth Clay said specialists found that metal tie bars in the spire of St Wendreda's Church in March, Cambridgeshire, were corroded.

She said the problem emerged after a piece of damaged metal, thought to be a bolt, fell to the spire floor in January 2023.

Mrs Clay said the bell tower, which is below the spire, had been closed and St Wendreda's bells had not rung since.

Vicar Ruth Clay feared St Wendreda's Church could be placed on an at-risk register

Mrs Clay, who is originally from Chelmsford in Essex, said a structural engineer and a tie bar specialist had investigated.

She said it was estimated that scaffolding, repair and renovation would cost the church - which is the only church in England named after St Wendreda - £250 000.

"There is a long-term prospect of the church being put on an at risk register," she said.

"The problem needs to be fixed."

She added: "There is a potential for further damage to the spire and, who knows, the spire toppling."

Specialists discovered that metal tie bars inside St Wendreda's spire have corroded

Mrs Clay said experts had discovered corrosion inside the spire, thought be to around 140 feet high.

"Within the spire there are tie bars - metal rods which hold the spire together," said Mrs Clay, who has been vicar at St Wendreda's for two years and moved to March from Wolverhampton.

"The tie bars have corroded and the stonework around the tie bars has corroded as well."

She added: "The stability of the tower is compromised and it's possible that items of metal or stone could fall, and that's obviously a health and safety risk.

"We've been advised that it's not safe to ring the bells until the spire, and the rods, are replaced or renovated."

Mrs Clay said a large portion of the estimated cost would pay for scaffolding.

A corroded piece of metal, thought to be a bolt, fell to the spire floor

A Cambridgeshire tourism website explained the church has a mix of 13th, 14th, 16th and 19th Century architecture, a "fine" steeple and a "famous" roof.

"(The roof) has a double hammer beam design featuring 118 beautifully carved angels, most of which are attached to the hammer beams and appear to be flying," the Cambridgeshire Fens website said.

"It is believed to be one of the finest timber roofs in Britain.

"Some of the angels are made up of figures depicting martyrs and saints with emblems, whilst the lower tier consists of angels holding medieval, musical instruments."

It said the roof, which is decorated with 2,700 fleur-de-lis, was built "sometime after 1523" and ordered from a workshop in Bacton, Suffolk.

People are thought to have worshiped on the site of St Wendreda's Church for 1,000 years

Buildings at Risk

• Historic England, the public body which helps England's "historic environment" runs a heritage "at risk" programme in a bid to protect historic buildings

• Figures showed there were 4,871 entries on the 2023 "Heritage at Risk Register", published in November

• The organisation said the "main threats" to places of worship included roofs and high-level stonework.

Vicar Ruth Clay said about £250,000 would have to be raised to repair St Wendreda's spire

Mrs Clay said the church's 500-year-old roof was "unique" and it attracted visitors from around the world.

"It is a beautifully, beautifully crafted wooded ceiling," she said.

"When you look up you are surrounded by the host of heaven for your worship."

Mrs Clay said the roof was thought to be the best example of its kind in Britain.

"I believe there are actually hundreds of churches in the country, particularly in East Anglia, which have a number of angels," she said.

"But this is unique in just what an array we have - It's stunning."

She said she was hopeful that money needed would be raised.

The church is thought to be the only church in Britain named after St Wendreda