Historic 600-year-old church tower to be restored to former glory after funding worth hundreds of thousands of pounds secured

A historic Norfolk church tower dating back six centuries has secured nearly £250,000 in lottery funding to undergo vital restoration work.

Parishioners at St Mary's Church in Holme-next-the-Sea, situated close to Hunstanton where the chalk downs meet the coastline, received confirmation of the National Lottery Heritage Fund grant worth £249,849.

The medieval tower, which stands as a prominent landmark visible for miles across the surrounding countryside, requires urgent attention following issues identified during the building's most recent quinquennial inspection.

Additional funds totalling more than £60,000 have been gathered through local efforts, with contributions coming from residents, the Help Holme Church Group, Holme Village Trust, the Geoffrey Watling Charity, and a bequest from an anonymous donor.

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The tower's lead roofing has deteriorated significantly beyond its expected lifespan, according to Martin Crown, the parochial church councillor serving as the building's fabric officer.

He told the Eastern Daily Press: "The lead on the tower roof is well past its sell-by date, it's worn thin. The pinnacles on the top are cracking, if they fall off that's obviously going to do quite a lot of damage."

Mr Crown added that the parapet walls surrounding the tower's upper section have developed cracks and require comprehensive repointing work.

Erecting scaffolding around the structure alone will account for £50,000 of the project budget.

The combined lottery grant and locally raised funds will cover the full scope of repairs needed to safeguard the medieval building.

St Mary's boasts a peal of five bells housed within its 90ft Grade I listed tower, making it unique among the eight churches comprising the Saxon Shore Benefice, which stretches from Burnham Deepdale to Hunstanton.

The bells represent a rarity along the Norfolk coastline, yet they have remained largely silent for years due to historical safety concerns and a shortage of local bellringers.

"All the time I was growing up they said the tower was unsafe, they couldn't be rung," Mr Crown recalled, noting that restoration work undertaken during the 1980s and 1990s made the ringing platform accessible once more.

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Visiting bellringers have occasionally sounded the main bells in recent years, though Sunday services typically proceed without them. A single bell operated via a rope in the porch is sometimes used instead.

Ann Rossington, churchwarden and chair of Holme's Parochial Church Council, said: "Thanks to National Lottery players we can restore our 15th century tower ensuring that our church is safe and will continue for future generations as a place of worship and a landmark in our community and beautiful setting less than one mile from the coast."

Mrs Rossington, who plans to step down from her role next year after a quarter of a century of service, described the funding success as an ideal conclusion to her tenure.

She said: "I couldn't ask for a better way to finish my term of office."

Scaffolding is expected to be erected around the tower next month, with the restoration project anticipated to take approximately one year to complete.

The present-day church largely dates from the early 15th century, when it was constructed by Henry Notingham, a judge at Norwich Assizes who also served as clerk of King's Lynn during the reign of Henry IV.

The building replaced an earlier place of worship on the same site, portions of which may have originated in Saxon times, with tower's five bells were cast between 1677 and 1868.

Standing prominently above the village's narrow lanes, the church serves as one of the coast's most recognisable landmarks.

"As soon as you come up the hill from Old Hunstanton you can see it," Mr Crown observed. "You can see it from Thornham, you can see it from the coast path, it's highly-visible."

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