A village church containing rare wall paintings has been 'saved' thanks to urgent roof repairs.
St Leonard's Church in Flamstead has been removed from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register for 2022.
The register gives an annual snapshot of the critical health of England’s most valued historic places and those most at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.
Over the past year, 21 historic buildings and sites have been added to the inventory in the East of England, which includes Hertfordshire, because of their deteriorating condition, and 39 sites have been saved and their futures secured.
Many have been rescued thanks to heritage partners and dedicated teams of volunteers, community groups, charities, owners and councils, working together with Historic England.
In Hertfordshire, four sites have been saved and four sites have been added to the Heritage at Risk Register. There are 33 sites on the Heritage at Risk Register.
Sites saved in Hertfordshire this year include St Leonard’s in Flamstead, where rare medieval wall paintings have been safeguarded thanks to urgent roof repairs.
James Mellish, National Lottery Heritage Fund project manager for the Flamstead Heritage Group said: “It's wonderful news that the hard work of the village community has saved this beautiful church.
"There was a real prospect it would have to close because of the dangerous state of the roof. Now it's secure for future generations.”
The Grade I listed church in High Street has been at the centre of the village community for the past 900 years.
Built at the request of a standard-bearer who served William the Conqueror, the church also commemorates people with strong links to the Earls of Warwick and the Elizabethan Court.
It contains what are believed to be the most important medieval wall paintings in the county outside St Albans Cathedral.
The paintings, discovered in the 1930s, were at risk of being lost due to the medieval roof failing and water entering the church.
Faced with the prospect of the church being closed completely, the village community began a campaign to 'Save St Leonard's'.
The long-term plan is to develop the church as a community hub and involve local people in promoting its shared heritage.
This led to a grant award of £642,500 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund - the total project costs were £1.13m - alongside the fundraising efforts of the village.
Urgent roof repairs have been completed. The building is now safe and saved, weatherproof and accessible.
The extraordinary wall paintings are drying out, showing more artistic detail, and will undergo specialist conservation work.
The Parochial Church Council and the Flamstead Heritage Project are working on an exciting programme of activities and events to tell the story of this remarkable church.
The aim is to bring its history and heritage to life through more social activities, learning opportunities and community events, supported by volunteers and local people.
Revd Jo Burke, vicar of Flamstead, said: “St Leonard’s has been given a fresh start: we have been steadily building on this to share our church as a building for everyone.
"We are delighted at the strong village response, which we see both in the increasing use of the church for community activities and special events, and in the growing worshipping community."
A number of the sites - such as St Leonard’s Church - that have been removed from the Heritage at Risk Register, have received crucial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Eilish McGuinness, chief executive at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It is so heartening to see so many significant heritage sites removed from the Heritage at Risk Register, and given a new lease of life as part of their local communities and places.
"Conserving and saving heritage at risk for the next generation to enjoy, is core to our purpose, and we’re incredibly proud that the Heritage Fund has been able to support the work to make this fantastic news possible.”
Tony Calladine, East of England regional director of Historic England, added: “It is central to Historic England’s mission that we pass on to future generations the rich legacy of historic buildings and places that we have inherited from previous generations.
"They tell the story of who we all are, they enrich our day to day lives and support sustainable economic growth, and we are coming to see how they can help in our struggle with climate change.
"Our Heritage at Risk programme is a key contributor to this ambition. With the help of local communities and partners, imaginative thinking and business planning, we can bring historic places back to life in the East of England.”
Tony added: “As the threat of climate change grows, the reuse and the sensitive upgrading of historic buildings and places becomes ever more important.
“Finding new uses for buildings and sites rescued from the Register avoids the high carbon emissions associated with demolishing structures and building new.”
HEADLINE STATISTICS IN THE EAST OF ENGLAND
The Heritage at Risk Register 2022 reveals that in the East of England:
- 116 buildings or structures (Grade I and II* listed buildings and structural scheduled monuments)
- 110 places of worship
- 102 archaeology entries (non-structural scheduled monuments)
- 10 parks and gardens
- 0 battlefields
- 1 protected wreck sites and
- 51 conservation areas…
are at risk of neglect, decay or inappropriate change.
In total, there are 390 entries across the East of England on the 2022 Heritage at Risk Register.
HEADLINE STATISTICS FOR ENGLAND
• Across the country, 233 entries have been removed from the Register (for positive reasons), while 175 entries have been added because of concerns about their condition.
• Historic England awarded £8.66 million in repair grants to 185 sites on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2021/2022
• 15 sites have benefitted from £3.25 million in grants from the heritage at risk strand of the Culture Recovery Fund during 2021/2022.
Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: "Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register plays a vital role in our ongoing mission to protect and preserve our rich heritage across the country.
"It helps to ensure that future generations can continue to benefit from everything our historic sites and buildings have to offer.
"It is also wonderful to see so many heritage sites removed from the Register thanks to the support of local communities together with Historic England."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here