The first phase of repair works to save Walpole Old Chapel, near Halesworth in Suffolk, is now under way. Cliveden Conservation has been appointed by the Historic Chapels Trust (HCT) to carry out the works in close collaboration with Ptolemy Dean Architects. Support for these works is being provided by the Churches Conservation Trust who have over 50 years of experience looking after important historic places of worship.
The Grade II* listed building is on the Heritage at Risk Register, meaning work is needed urgently to save the building. Converted from dwellings in the late 17th- century, the chapel is an incredibly intact, rare surviving example of an early non-conformist place of worship.
To safeguard the future of this historic chapel, conservators will carefully remove the later inappropriate renders which were failing and causing significant damp problems. This will allow for sensitive conservation repairs and reinforcements to the timber frame and for the team to consolidate the wattle and daub infill panels. A new lath and haired air lime render will be applied with high flexural strength to accommodate the movement of the timbers and allow the building to ‘breathe’.
Walpole Old Chapel is one of many urgent repair projects being undertaken by Historic Chapels Trust who own 19 nationally and internationally important chapels. Supported by funding from the UK government’s Cultural Assets Fund, which was distributed by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, up to £374,400 has been allocated towards a first phase of works to repair the timber frame and render the two elevations of the building.
The funding is part of a £3,689,000 investment awarded in 2022 to Historic Chapels Trust by the Memorial Fund from the UK government’s Cultural Assets Fund to support urgent conservation works for Walpole Old Chapel and seven other Grade I and Grade II* listed chapels in England, all on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. The repairs are a key milestone for Historic Chapels Trust to find suitable long-term owners for the chapels and secure their futures.
Hard hat tours are being offered during the project for interested members of the public to view the specialist conservation repairs as they happen. Katie Langridge, Head of Conservation and Operations (East) at Cliveden Conservation, is looking forward to welcoming the public on-site to see ‘conservation in action’:
“We will be recording our works every step of the way which will help preserve the beautiful Chapel for many years to come. We look forward to engaging with the public on-site and demonstrating our heritage craft skills.”
Chris Smith, Chair of Trustees for Historic Chapels Trust said:
“We are extremely pleased that it has proved possible – with the focused, thoughtful and generous support of our key funders and partners – to allocate a significant sum to the first phase of the long-awaited and critically important render and structure repairs at WOC. We look ahead with confidence to both the completion of the whole project and to this wonderful chapel’s long-term future in the sure hands of FWOC.”
Friends of Walpole Old Chapel (FWOC) have been champions of the building for years. They plan to take on ownership of the building next year and are leading on securing further funding to fully repair the building and get it removed from the Heritage at Risk register. Simon Weeks, Secretary at FWOC, said:
“We would like to thank all the people and organisations who have donated so generously and worked hard to get us to this point. This project has been ten years in development, so it is very exciting to see it finally getting off the ground.”
The first phase of repair works to save Walpole Old Chapel, near Halesworth in Suffolk, is now under way.