St Walburge’s Appeal

Sponsor a slate and help save St Walburge’ Shrine Church!

St Walburge's Shrine Church in Preston has been awarded a £252,210 grant by Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (from English Heritage) for urgent roof repairs to “ensure that the magnificent historic building lives on for centuries to come". This will pay for the first phase of repair work to the huge roof, coverings and gutter linings. The Canons and parishioners are deeply grateful. St Walburge's is one of the most important mid-19th century churches in Britain. Exceptionally rich in detail and massive in scale, it is an architectural gem with an early Grade I listing. The building, designed by Joseph Hansom is the largest non-cathedral Catholic church in the country and is famous for having the tallest spire (309 ft) of any parish church in England.

The interior, which seats around 1,000, is 165ft long by 55ft. It boasts a spectacular hammerbeam roof supported by 14 hammerbeam trusses and wall brackets bearing life-size statues of saints.

Rainwater leakage is causing serious damp and rot, ruining the church’s fabric and contents, even threatening the magnificent roof structure. This rapid deterioration has been caused by severe weather, numerous slipped slates, poor condition of the nails, as well as lack of maintenance. There is extensive ‘nail fatigue’ where the ferrous nails have begun to corrode and fail. Slates are deteriorating through age.

The grant will enable the first phase of repair work to start this November. However, the Church needs to raise £75,000 match-funding. The Church is promoting a “sponsor a slate” campaign as well as many other fund-raising events, but outside help is urgently needed.

For more information please go to icksp.org.uk/preston/support-our-apostolate-in-lancashire/ Bank account: 52347733 Sort Code: 40-10-22