Faitful Restoration

John James's plan of St George's is deceptively simple, while his handling of a small, difficult site is masterly. His apprenticeship as a carpenter was put to full use and, despite the relatively small budget available to him, he used materials of superb quality, to ensure that the church was a masterpiece of design and appearance. Subsequent modifications, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, were carried out with the utmost respect for James's original work, and our plans for the church's first major refurbishment in its history are equally respectful of the architect's original vision.
There are four distinct ambitions in our project plan.

First we address serious structural concerns by:

• »   Improving the structure of the original ceiling timbers, some of which are failing
• »   Repairing decayed roof timber
• »   Repairing damaged and crushed or collapsing ceiling plasterwork
• »   Renewing failed plaster to wall surfaces

We must then ensure that this historic church is fit for purpose in the twenty-first century by:

• »   Insulating the roof space to save energy
• »   Replacing hazardous electrical and lighting installations, totally rewiring and relighting the church in the process
• »   Improving fire resistance
• »   Installing alarm systems

We must also recognise that St George's is now used extensively for liturgical and non-liturgical purposes. Careful adjustments are therefore needed for best use of the space. We will:

• »   Ensure that the new lighting is appropriate and sufficient
• »   Install a new sound system
• »   Create a more flexible space in the choir area for services and concerts
• »   Improve the gallery sightlines
• »   Rearrange the baptistery to allow more space around the font

Finally, the interior from the west entrance to the east end wall requires complete redecoration and cleaning after the works of repair, renewal and upgrading, in order that this unique interior is faithfully restored to its full splendour.