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Historic town church ‘at risk’
A LANDMARK church in Maid- stone town centre has been de- clared “at risk” by English Heritage. The medieval church of All
Saints in Mill Street was built by Archbishop Courtenay in 1395 and is a grade I listed building. It is the oldest medieval building in the town available for use by the com- munity. The parish church has this year
been included on English Her- itage’s at risk register for the first time and is described as being in a “poor” condition, along with All Saints in Ulcombe Hill, which is also grade I listed and also de- scribed as poor. Blocked and damaged drains
have allowedwater into the build- ing, causing damp. The church has spent about £2m on repairs in the past 20 years and will now look at what can be done in the next phase of restoration. All Saints has seven roofs and all
have been restored in the past few years except for the main nave roof, which would cost £750,000 to fix. Lionel Marchant, treasurer of the trustees of the church’s restoration trust, said: "This is not as drastic as the words suggest. It merely high- lights a special need when applica- tion is made to the various grant making bodies for financial help.
“Wenowhave anewpriest – The
Rev Ian Parrish – which means that the trustees cannowprepare a mis- sion plan (in the secular world this would be called a business plan) to identify the bestway forward in the next stage of restoration. " English Heritage describes the Ulcombe Hill church as “an attrac- tive and complex village church of multiple phases, beginning in the 12th century andmuch restored in the 20th century”. Its “good medieval tracery”, in-
ternal fittings and roof structures are all under threat fromwater get- ting into the building. Slipped tiles and cracked cement pointing have led to serious damp issues. The Friends of All Saint’s Church
are fundraising to try to save the church in Ulcombe, but still need another £90,000 to repair the roof and put right thewater damage. Once on the risk register, places
of worship can move through the condition categories, from bad to fair and good as repairs are imple- mented and the condition im- proves, until they are fully repaired and can be removed. Nationally, 6% of listed places of worship are on the register. In the South East, 5.1% (116) are on the register. Maidstone has the greatest concentration of grade I listed buildings in Kent.
How to help homeless
THE Downs Mail is inviting readers to join a campaign to protect and care for the town’s homeless this Christmas and winter. The second Maidstone ChurchesWinter Shelter campaign will
offer awarm winterwelcome overnight for the homeless. Church members and other volunteers in seven participating churches will provide an evening meal, companionship, shelter for the night and support towards a better future. This year the shelter opens at7pmand runs from December 8 until the end of February. This is how you can show some seasonal spirit:
Food: Non-perishable food can be taken to The Salvation Army, 74-80 Union Street, Maidstone (easy on-site parking) between 9am and noon. Time: Volunteers are needed to help at the churches. Donations: It is easy to make a donation.
If you can offer help of any kind, call 07906 628413 or dianagor-
donuk@googlemail.com.
Compassionate Care in Maidstone and the surrounding areas
Our dedicated ca r are p r
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