‘Vital’ Roof Repairs Complete at Grade II Lancaster Church

‘VITAL’ ROOF REPAIRS at the historic Church of St John the Evangelist on North Road, Lancaster, are now complete.

The project has not only made the Grade II* listed building watertight but also delivered training for people seeking careers in heritage building skills.

The repair programme, which addressed critical roof and masonry issues caused by Storm Desmond flooding a decade ago, has demonstrated the power of combining urgent conservation work with heritage skills training.

Over five weeks last summer, 21 trainees took part in a Heritage Building Skills Summer School in the local area, with 17 working onsite at St John’s.

Historic England, who awarded the church a grant of £574,000 to support the urgent repair works, organised the programme which delivered 2,224 training hours across six specialist areas including hot lime mixing, slate roofing, stonemasonry, joinery, plastering, and mud masonry.

Trainees reported an increase in confidence levels, with 13 achieving Level 3 awards in Repair and Maintenance of Traditional Buildings and eight gaining qualifications in Energy Efficiency of Traditional Buildings.

A Model for Heritage Training

The success at St John’s addresses critical skills shortages identified by Historic England research, with several traditional crafts at risk of dying out and shortfalls in crafts such as flint knapping, gauged brickwork, stained glass making, and slating.

The project, delivered in partnership with Bullen Conservation and Lancaster and Morecambe College, demonstrates how heritage property owners and contractors can contribute to skills preservation whilst addressing essential conservation work.

Historic England is now encouraging other heritage property owners and conservation contractors to consider similar onsite training opportunities.

Historic England’s Florence Salberter said: “The success of the works at St John’s demonstrates exactly what can be achieved when heritage conservation and skills training come together. This isn’t just about repairing one beautiful building – it’s about safeguarding the future of the essential skills needed to maintain and restore much-loved historic places across the country.”

Transforming St John’s Future

With the building now safe from further water damage, the Churches Conservation Trust says it aspires to restore St John’s role as a ‘vibrant community hub’. The phased approach will begin with small, stewarded visits, growing the volunteer group supporting the church’s ongoing conservation, ultimately aiming to see the church open five days a week.

Upgrades to the church facilities, such as reinstating the toilet and kitchen provision, will also improve the building’s usability for community events and visitors.

The goal is for St John’s to function as both an event space and tourism hub at the heart of the area recently improved under Lancaster’s Historic England-sponsored High Street Heritage Action Zone and the Lancaster Conservation Area.

Anthony Wilder, Churches Conservation Trust, commented: “Now that St John’s is dry as a result of the roof repairs, the smell of damp has disappeared.  We’re looking forward to welcoming back increasing numbers of local people and visitors as further improvements create opportunities for the enjoyment and use of this remarkable Lancaster landmark.”

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