02/05/2026
PROJECT INSPIRE UPDATE
It is great to see so much happening in St. Lawrence church as part of our major restoration and reordering project. Work is progressing well with the inevitable few hiccups along the way.
A major part of the planning is co-ordinating the different contractors to come in and complete their work at the allotted time, on schedule and on budget. Supplies have to be ordered in advance and any delays could have serious knock-on effects on other sections of the project. The architects have to work closely with the main contractors and try to keep everything on track! 🕧🗓️
The lower part of the walls are being re-plastered, as the original mortar was in a very poor state with erosion from corroded wiring and damage from old pipework. The traditional lime mortar is mixed with ox or horse hair to bind it together properly. This mixing is still done by hand.
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The new air source heat pumps have been installed on a custom concrete plinth just outside the church building and are connected to the heating controls inside via an underground cable. The old boiler room under the south door has been strengthened and fitted out with all the cabling necessary for the new underfloor heating system. This means that most of the underground work has now been completed. 🌡️
The floor continues to be built up in layers. The first layer of insulation has gone down and on top of that is the complicated network of ducting and cabling which ensures that most of the wiring in the church will be invisible under the floor. Room has also been made for some trench heaters, which will provide a quick boost to the underfloor heating in cold weather. Everything has to be carefully measured and mapped out before the next layer of the floor is constructed. 🌐
Flexible and accessible seating is a major part of Project Inspire. Individual wooden seats will be both comfortable and have the ability to be arranged in many different configurations, depending on the type of service or event. The seats also have to be stackable on trollies so the church can be cleared for events such as the summer holiday Bible club held every year. The exact design of the chairs is therefore crucial with provision for linking, book rests etc. all having to be considered. 🪑
Please do pray that work would continue on time and on budget. Both the regular church family and the wider community will notice great improvements in our well loved church building when it reopens. 🙏
