A church in Derbyshire that was devastated by fire earlier this month will be restored, the church’s insurance company Ecclesiastical has announced.
A blaze swept through the 700-year-old building on 4th December destroying the roof and causing widespread damage to the structure and interior.
Further inspections have since taken place, with drone technology used to assist structural engineers with the initial assessment.
By Ecclesiastical
The Grade I listed building is insured for £11 million and the church is now working with its partners on a roadmap for restoration on what will be a long and complex project.
After visiting the church, Director at Ecclesiastical Jeremy Trott said it was “heart-breaking” to see the historic building in ashes and said it was no easy task.
“It will be a complex project because of the age of the church, its listed status and the rich history of the local surroundings which, along with the site, have scheduled monument status. This means accessing site will be a challenge and we will need to be careful not to damage the ground when using heavy machinery to help clear and restore the site.”
Michael Angell, church operations director at Ecclesiastical, said he feels assured that the church can be restored to its former glory.
“We have a huge amount of expertise in working with churches and we understand the complex nature of a restoration of this scale.
“We’ve done it before - so that’s the key message on day one, to give the community that reassurance that we can get the work done in a way that preserves as much of the history of the church as possible.”
The church has since seen an outpouring of solidarity as hundreds of people committed to contributing towards the repairs. A dedicated crowdfunding page has raised more than £11,000 in donations.
Priest in charge of All Saints Mackworth, Jacqueline Stober said: “A church touches so many people, not just through regular Sunday services, but by being the place that holds people's memories of those important times in their lives: baptisms, marriages and funerals.”
“The outpouring of love and support we have had since the fire has genuinely been astonishing,” she added.