St Mary's Church, Long Preston, awarded £41,000 to restore stained glass windows (From Craven Herald)

St Mary's Church, Long Preston, awarded £41,000 to restore stained glass windows

8:00am Monday 25th February 2013 in News

St Mary’s Church, Long Preston, has been awarded a £41,000 grant towards the repair and restoration of its historic stained glass windows.

Built on the hillside overlooking the Ribble Valley, the church has stood on this site since the 14th century and the stained glass windows were installed when the east end was rebuilt in the mid 1800s.

Over time, the windows – by the renowned Belgium glass painter Jean-Baptiste Capronnier – have suffered the effects of the weather and general aging and major work, estimated at £65,000, is needed to preserve them “Members of the church have been looking at the extent of the work for some time, but being a small congregation were daunted by the scale of the project,” said priest in charge the Rev Stuart Stobart.

In 2010, the church council commissioned a report on the windows and the task of raising the money began.

“Everyone has worked really hard,” added Mr Stobart. “We began working with English Heritage during 2012 and they have helped us to get the project moving forward and secured Heritage Lottery funding for both stages of the restoration work.”

The church has nearly reached its target.

“We are just £6,000 short of funding the work and need one last big push to raise all the money. As ever, we are always looking for anyone who would like to contribute to our project,” said Mr Stobart.

It is hoped that work will start on phase one in the summer when a detailed survey will be completed and small areas of the glass tested for cleaning and suitability for repairing on site.

“Many people come to look at our windows and once restored to their former glory, they will again show the wonderful stories from the bible for many more generations to come,” added Mr Stobart.

St Mary’s was one of 17 listed churches across Yorkshire and Humber to secure lottery funding.

Fiona Spiers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Yorkshire and Humber, said: “Historic places of worship form prominent and much-loved landmarks in our villages, towns and cities. They are unique buildings that bring local communities together for a variety of reasons from worship through to culture and leisure.

“Since 1994, the Heritage Lottery Fund has invested more than £500 million into these precious buildings across the UK and with these new grants we aim to ensure even more are secured for future generations to enjoy.”