7:34am Wednesday 4th March 2009
By Will Kilner
Vital repair work will be carried out to a treasured landmark thanks to a grant from heritage guardians.
English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund have pledged £152,000 to Saltaire United Reformed Church, the magnificent Grade I-listed structure at the heart of the World Heritage site.
The cash will fund much-needed repairs to the leaking entrance canopy roof, the steps to the entrance hall and the mausoleum where Sir Titus Salt, founder of Saltaire, is interred along with members of his family.
But church bosses are aware that even greater challenges lie ahead and they have set aside £20,000 for a feasibility study to look at future requirements, including the need to provide disabled access without significantly damaging the building’s character.
The Reverend Paul Breeze, minister at the church, said he hoped the grant would allow the church to be brought into a good state of repair.
He said: “The funding will be used to renovate the mausoleum and there’s work that needs doing on the roof because of water ingress.
“And hopefully we won’t lose any more lead off the roof,” he added, referring to a spate of thefts in late 2008.
David Kennedy, who sits on the committee of the Yorkshire & Humberside Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “Many of our churches are in dire need of help in terms of repairs.
“Places of worship often form a key part of the community and both English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund have given a large number of grants to places of worship.
“Today, it’s particularly appropriate that we are here in Saltaire which is a brilliant example of the legacy from Sir Titus Salt.”
Giles Proctor, team leader at English Heritage, said: “When it comes to the significance of this particular church it really is one of the finest nonconformist churches in the country of any date.”
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