Progress report – 22nd July 2022
Now that all the clearance has been done the contractors, architect and particularly the structural engineer have reassessed the work needed in the former choir vestry to build the steel frame to carry the mezzanine floor. The contractors have now asked for a three week extension to cover this and completion date is now 9th December. As a result the Rector has sadly to announce that we will not now be open in time for Christmas.
The reassessment was needed because of the discovery a large vault – apparently the burial place of Faith James and others of her family. The whole tomb and memorial were completely hidden under the floor. There were also a number of bones found and an almost complete skull.
Whenever the contractors are digging below ground our archaeologist comes to review the work and takes pictures and detailed measurements of anything she finds. When the site manager was showing people round at the open morning last week, he shared some pictures with them. Not surprisingly this picture of the skull was the one in which people were most interested.
The next few weeks will be taken up with laying the many layers of the floor. This will start with the provision of a service trench for the mains water from the vestry door to the new servery in the opposite corner. Then there will be a significant layer of cellular glass gravel insulation laid before the underfloor heating pipes and the conduit to carry cables to all the floor boxes can be installed. This will leave the building will be ready for the biggest job: screeding the whole floor.
Our fund raising appeal is still very much open at – www.spaceforall.org.uk/supporting-the-project. and there are lots more pictures at Pictures to mid July
Although the building itself is closed, worship continues in The Cornerstone on Sundays (8am, 9.30 and 11.15) and on weekdays (Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 am and Thursday at 9 am) and the bell ringers have access to the tower.
There is still access to almost all the churchyard either through the lychgate in London Road or the double gate in Norreys Avenue. The memorials by The Cornerstone can be accessed from the Cornerstone south hall so long as that is not in use. The only recent memorials that are only accessible by special arrangement are those by the vestry door. Please contact the Parish office if you would like to visit one on a special day.
