Wondrous woodwork!

We knew the roof repairs at St James's would be a challenge. Without exaggeration, works started right in the nick of time: the structure was at the point of collapse. However, once the tiles were stripped and the 1950s plaster panels were removed, we were in for a shock. The roof was in far worse condition than any of us imagined. The photos below show the structural snapping and degradation from wet rot and beetle infestation. It's really a miracle that this roof was staying up at all.

The incredibly skilled team from Jones & Fraser have been working flat out to devise, develop, adapt and implement the timber repairs. Some sections are beyond saving and need to be completely replaced while some areas need repairs and a bit extra support.

Just one new brace needed to be carved. A profile was drawn from an existing brace, which was applied to a hunk of air-dried oak and carved on the carpenter's bench on the scaffold.

The wall-plates, however, didn't fare as well as the ceiling braces. They were heavily decayed in places, all structural integrity was long lost, and new sections had to be cut in. The video below shows the work that went into creating these new moulded elements.

The roof trusses to the chancel are all now repaired and hauled back into positio. Thin strips of oak have been split to create laths. These are nailed on to the roof timbers, and plaster can be spread over these. The plaster mix squeezes through gaps in the laths, forming a hook, which holds the plaster in place.

, working with our architect (Andrew Faulkner) and engineers (Steve Swinbank, Mann Williams), Jones & Fraser are beginning to develop a repair strategy for each individual truss. This is careful, thoughtful, skilled work, and we are delighted that St James’s is in such good hands.

In addition to all this, we are delighted to have Lily Watts, photographer and videographer, recording the project as it progresses. Lily is volunteering her time, expertise and craft, and we are so grateful. She’s a regular on site now, a part of the team, and has made some excellent, potent images. Lily really has captured the essence of the place and the project – she’s distilled so much into single frames – composition and lighting. Thank you, Lily!

In July, we were delighted to learn that the Garfield Weston Foundation approved our grant application and awarded £30,000 towards the project. Our sincere thanks to the Foundation for supporting this project. This grant, plus a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and donations from supporters of our work have made all of this possible. Our heartfelt thanks.

Can you help us with our work? We care for more than 64 redundant places of worship in England and Wales — historic buildings which need continual maintenance — and we save more every single year.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who supports our work.

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