Sunday's

Spire Project

What is happening with our spire?

You may have noticed the spire on St Peter's is a little bit wonky!

Due to something called called ‘rust jacking’, our spire has developed an interesting lean. This happens when iron cramps in the brickwork get wet and rust, then expand causing the structure to ‘jack’ (lift up) on one side.

What this means...

The structural issue with our spire will continue to worsen if left unaddressed and could eventually result in a collapse. As this presents a serious health and safety risk, and following consultation with specialists including an architect and structural engineer, we must now carefully dismantle the affected section of the spire to prevent any potential danger.

If we were not to act, not only would this be a health and safety risk, but St Peter’s could also potentially be required to close - meaning we would be unable to serve our local community and beyond.

Project Plan and Funding

As this is a significant and costly project, the church does not currently have the funds to dismantle and rebuild the spire in one single phase. For that reason, the work will take place in stages:

Phase 1- Dismantling the leaning section of the spire and installing a temporary cap to ensure the tower is secure and safe.

Phase 2 – Rebuilding the spire (without the wonkiness!). As we do not yet have the funds for this stage, the rebuild may be some years away.

Phase one is now underway!

Work began on 24th February 2026 and is expected to last approximately 10 weeks. Our specialist steeplejacks are working carefully to preserve as much of the original stonework as possible, with pieces being labelled and stored for use in the future rebuild. You may spot our steeplejacks high up on the tower over the coming weeks. They will generally be working during normal daytime hours and not at weekends.

Is the church open?

The church remains open for Sunday services at 9.15am and 11am during this phase of the project. For health and safety reasons, the building will be closed on other days. Our grounds, including the car park, will also be closed except on Sundays. The main Garden of Rest area (where ashes are interred on the opposite end of the grounds from the car park) remains open for visiting as usual.

We have some special Easter services and events coming up where the church will be open on a different schedule. Also some of our other groups and events are taking place at other locations.

Please visit the 'what's on' page for more details.

Could you donate?

St Peter’s relies on donations to support its ministry, community work, and the upkeep of our historic building. The estimated cost of rebuilding the spire is around £500,000, and we do not yet have the funds needed for this stage.

The PCC and church leadership will be actively seeking grants and exploring fundraising opportunities to support the rebuild, but we cannot do this alone.

If you would like to contribute towards the spire project, a donation link will be available on this page shortly, making it quick and easy to give.

Every contribution, large or small, will make a real difference.

Spire Updates

We will post regular updates here as the project progresses.

Please check back for the latest news.