A small congregation near Bodmin have hit an inspiring target of raising over £110,000 towards the costs of repair and restoration to the church building.

St Bartholomew Church, Warleggan

St Bartholomew Church, in the village of Warleggan near Bodmin has needed repairs for some time as the ancient tower roofis leaking with water getting into the walls, with the additional problem of the pointing on the church tower trapping water in the walls and forcing it to escape through the original lime mortar on the inside. A further knock-on effect of this is that the bell chamber floor joists are rotting at the ends making the chamber and bell frame unsafe which prevents the bells from ringing.

The overall costs of the repair and restoration are in excess of £150,000 but the parish of just 150 adults have come together to successfully apply for a grant from Viridor Credits for £99,000 and another for £10,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation. To add to this, the congregation of St Bartholomew have been running fundraising events such as concerts, choral evenings, flower festivals, talks, fetes and sponsored walks, which have all raised vital funds to help with the repairs.

Andrew Lane, Secretary to the PCC says:

“For a small parish we are very well supported and have further plans to get the most possible use out of the church – but first we must also raise funds for improved heating and lighting. Once this is done we hope to attract more small weddings, to install a lending library and to be an information hub for the wider parish as well as staging further concerts and choral events in rather more comfortable circumstances than currently prevail.”

St. Bartholomew Church Warleggan occupies an ancient circular Celtic site and itself dates back at least to the 14th century. The church is Grade II listed and is currently on the ‘at risk’ register. The church has a long and interesting history and boasts a thirteenth century lancet window, the fifteenth century font and the Royal Arms of 1664 on the north wall.

Andrew Lane continues:

“We are well on the way to restoring the fabric and attracting yet further organisations to use this wonderful building.”