Thornhill Parish Church

Church scoops major Award  February 2010

English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have announced one of their largest grants to Thornhill Parish Church to enable work to be carried out on this Grade 1 Listed Building set in the heart of the Thornhill Conservation Area. The Grant totals  £178,000 nett of Vat to allow a programme of work to be planned. Stage 1 which is now ongoing will allow detailed  reports to be prepared on the work required for the repair of the 12^th century tower; the monitoring and environmental analysis of the glass in the East Window of the Savile Chapel which dates from the 15^th Century –to be carried out by Jonathan & Ruth Cooke ( Glass Conservators- Ilkley ) and scientists from Sheffield University- and the preparation of reports on the other monuments in the Chapel.   Phase 11 which starts in January next year will see the restoration of a monument to Sir George Savile 1622 by the famous sculptor Maximillian Colt which is in a dangerous condition. (Colt was the Master Carver to King James in 1608)  Other monuments will be restored. Three windows in the North Aisle of the chapel dating from about 1490 will be conserved and protected. Work will be carried out to restore the Tower where the Thornhill ring of bells peels out week by week. Other works on the structure and drainage will be done in this period.In 2011 the results of all the scientific investigation on the East Window will be known and we will have to plan to carry out the necessary work in 2012.,Including Vat- which the government will let us reclaim the costs of the work are £265,789.  The church has to raise about £48,000 from grants and trusts as well as fundraising and giving.

In addition to the works eligible under the HLF scheme the church also needs to replace the lighting which has been in place over 40 years and is now unsafe and outdated and a 30 years refurbishment and cleaning of the organ has to be carried out. These two schemes which together cost £60,000 will also need to be funded.

Project Manager Brian Pearson says ‘the church people have seen work costing over £500,000 carried out over the last ten years to preserve this fine building and make it a valuable resource for the whole community. This next phase carries on this work and seeks to preserve some of the nationally important artistic and cultural artefacts in the area.  We are extremely grateful to English Heritage for recognising the importance of this local gem of a building by their generous grant and support.  We will shortly be starting a public appeal for the remaining funds.’