Cranes, crypts and celebrations.
On a very damp September evening in Bristol, many supporters of St John on the Wall gathered to be warmed by the numerous ways that members of the local community engage with this recently conserved church.
The celebrations started off with a grand welcome from one of the Churches Conservation Trust’s youngest volunteers, who played the organ upon our guests’ arrival. This was followed by a range of guest speakers, all keen to share their passion for the church, including our dedicated volunteers and the Lord Mayor of Bristol. A beautiful feast was then enjoyed, which had been created by local supporters. The night ended with music being played in the medieval crypt by a CCT award-winning band, Dark Alchemy.
The evening was full of excitement and was a proud showcase of the variety of ways communities can engage with our nation’s historic spaces. But the primary reason we came together was to raise funds and learn more about the vital conservation needs of this deeply valued church.
As well as music and joyful stories, throughout the event we heard details of the momentous past five years of St John’s history. We learnt about the initial reroofing of the western roof, thanks to the Heritage Stimulus Fund, the stabilisation of the loose masonry at the top of the spire at great height by crane and rope access, and the recent regilding of the spire cockerel.
CCT and the community at St John on the Wall had cause to celebrate in April when the work to the spire was completed. However, the immediate needs of St John had not yet been fully met as the beautiful stone crypt below still needed major masonry repair and replacement.
In 2020, CCT commissioned a structural survey and monitoring of the crypt as we were concerned about indications of ongoing significant structural movements, with associated damage to the stonework. Much of the movement in the structure was evidently long-standing. However, there were also clear indications of the movement being progressive. In particular, failure of the rib stones at some of the springing points, and the open joints between the rib stones, especially where joints were filled previously using 20th-century mortar, which have since reopened.