Delight after church taken off 'at risk' register

Ian Myhill and Helena Lord have spearheaded the five-year campaign to raise funds to repair the roof of St Edmund's Church in Kessingland

A 500-year-old church has been removed from Historic England's at risk register after a £300,000 repair project.

The fundraising appeal to replace the thatched roof of St Edmund's Church in Kessingland, Suffolk, was launched in 2018.

Historic England said the church was one of 14 sites removed from in the region this year, but 29 sites have been added to the list in 2024.

The Grade I listed building near Lowestoft was closed for 15 months during the repair work but was reopened in March.

Work on the roof began in 2023 after the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £168,000 towards the repairs with further costs being covered thanks to support and fundraising from villagers

Helena Lord and Ian Myhill, who led the five-year campaign to raise funds, said they were delighted to hear the building had been taken off the at risk register.

Ms Lord said: "The new roof is an amazing sight, in comparison to how it was, and it's now a joy to look at and we have no leaks on the inside.

"We are extremely pleased we have achieved our goal and I think we can say that we have left this church in a really good state of repair for the future and for the generations to come into this village.

"We are eternally grateful to Historic England for putting us on the at risk register because that really helped us getting the funds we needed from National Lottery Heritage. It wasn't very nice to go on the at risk register but it was what we needed to do at the time."

Mr Myhill said: "The amount of help we've had from the community has been phenomenal and I think one of the pleasures of the whole project has been the wonderful involvement of local school children.

"We also now have information boards in the south porch which show the history of the church and the village and that history deserves to be told."

What is the at risk list?

The annual register lists historic places at risk of being lost due to neglect, decay or development.

Heritage Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, said: “The UK has an abundance of heritage sites across the country that attract tourists and provide jobs in local communities. Many of these are in desperate need of support.”

“The Heritage at Risk Register plays a vital role in our ongoing mission to protect and preserve our rich heritage across the country. Many beloved sites have been removed from the list this year and I hope that more will be saved thanks to their inclusion this year."

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: "It’s inspirational to see how we can harness the power of our heritage to benefit local people across the East of England.

"Together, we can save our places and find new ways to enjoy the heritage that people value so much."