Heritage craft trainees help repair listed church

The church was badly damaged during Storm Desmond in 2015

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

The repairs to the Church of St John the Evangelist on North Road in Lancaster form part of a summer school run by Historic England (HE) for 21 trainees.

HE has awarded the church a grant of £574,000 to carry out the repairs.

Stonemasonry apprentice, Kathrine Graf, said the project "provides the perfect opportunity to demonstrate what we've learned in our respective trades".

'Incredible opportunity'

HE said research had revealed a growing shortage of specialist skills in the building repair and conservation sector.

The Heritage Crafts charity said several traditional crafts in the UK were at risk of becoming extinct including flint knapping, gauged brickwork, stained glass making and slating.

Bullen Conservation will be undertaking the repair works in Lancaster and delivering the on-site training to the apprentices, who will also attend workshops at Lancaster and Morecambe College to learn skills including hot lime mortar mixing, slate roofing, stonemasonry, plastering, joinery, and mud masonry.

Over five weeks, trainees are assisting with repairs to the roof and high-level masonry, learning and developing traditional skills from master craftspeople.

Stained glass trainee, Ellen Hunt, said she applied to take part "as I have a deep passion for cultural heritage and its preservation".

The 23-year-old "fell in love" with stained glass windows whilst studying in Italy and signed up to a beginners' class to learn how to make them on her return.

"I have never actually worked on a heritage building before, and this is what makes this opportunity so exciting for me," she said.

"It is opening up doors that I never would have expected to open."

Over five weeks, trainees will learn and develop traditional skills from master craftspeople

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.

Terry Parsons, a Churches Conservation Trust volunteer at St John's, said: "I've cared for the church for many years and it's so sad to see the decline, but this project means that the roof will be watertight and the inside of the church safe for people to enjoy for years to come."

HE's North West regional director, Catherine Dewar, said it was an "incredible opportunity" for the students "to learn these much-needed crafts and then immediately put them into practice".