32
BCD Special Report on
Historic Churches
19
th annual edition
Back from
the brink
Leighterton’s Belfry
David Butcher
The belfry of St Andrew’s, Leighterton with cement-rendered panels and rotting timberwork before restoration (right)
and after (above)
S
t Andrews is
a Grade II* listed church
that stands in the village of Leighterton in
the Diocese of Gloucester and the Parish
of Boxwell with Leighterton. The church, built
in the Cotswold vernacular tradition, has been
a central feature of village community life for
generations, with the building’s nave, south
porch and tower dating back to the 13th century.
A substantial range of additions and
restoration works was carried out to this
charming medieval church in 1877, including
the removal of the upper part of the tower
and the construction of a timber-framed
belfry with a steep, timber shingle spire roof.
But, after more than 130 years’ service, a
close inspection of the belfry proved it to be
in a state of disrepair and suffering wet rot.
The challenge was to restore the structure
and ensure the stability and structural
integrity of its 19th-century timber frame.
From the outset of the project there was a
strong commitment to retaining as much of the
original structure as possible and replacing only
those timber members which were defective
and affecting the integrity of the structure. The
plan was to remove all previous inappropriate
repairs and materials and to repair the
structure using original methods, such as
pegged timber joints and lime render infill
panels, and to reinstate the original paint finish
on the timber frame. Key to this restoration
work was the design of a method to jack up
the whole roof structure high enough to allow
the angling-in of new posts and sole plates.
