A MAJOR appeal to raise money to restore Holy Trinity Church at Bardsea got under way with a coffee morning at the Coronation Hall at Ulverston in October 1995.
CRAFTSMAN: South Cumbria stained glass renovation expert John Edmondson at work at the start of the refurbishment programme at Bardsea Church in 1997
One fund-raising idea was to try to amass a mile of pound coins, with donations filling up grids or squares of paper with pound coins.
In late 1996 it was announced that the church was to receive a grant of £275,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help pay for the work that was needed.
The cash would help pay for repairs to the church’s fabric, new underfloor heating, re-slating and insulation of the roof and restoration of the organ.
The church needed a total of about £344,000 spending on it and the parochial church council needed to raise £70,000.
News of the Lottery windfall was met with delight by church members. Churchwarden Isla McGowran, of Orchard Road, said: “I’ve got a big smile of my face today.”
CRAFT: Joiner Billy Clark of Lowther Construction at work on the floor of the altar in January 1998 during restoration work at Bardsea Church
She said that without the cash the church would eventually have been forced to close. “The present heating system doesn’t work very well and the first alternative the parochial church council would have been faced with is worshipping somewhere else in the winter.
“In the long term the church building would have gone to rack and ruin and been forced to close.
“But with this grant we can now look forward to having our church in a good state of repair for future generations of local people and visitors to Bardsea.
THE NAMES RING A BELL... Jim Boulton in January 1998 with a piece of wood from the bell tower containing names of bellringers from bygone days
In April 1997 The Mail reported that craftsmen who had restored Carlisle Cathedral were using their skills to save Victorian stained glass windows at Bardsea Church, as part of the restoration programme.
In January 1998 it was reported that restoration work at the church was coming to an end.
One piece of history which had come to light during the restoration was a piece of wood from the bell tower containing names of bellringers from bygone days.
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