A £5,000 grant from Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust is helping secure the future of St Stephen’s Church in East Hardwick — protecting not only its historic Welsh slate roof, but also a much-loved hub at the heart of its rural community.
For more than 150 years, St Stephen’s has stood at the heart of East Hardwick. Consecrated in 1874, the church was built in the Gothic style using coursed local stone and a Welsh slate roof. In 2017, the local planning authority recognised its heritage value by describing St Stephen’s as a ‘Non-Designated Heritage Asset’.
Today, however, the church’s historic roof is in urgent need of attention.
A roof in need of urgent repair
For several years, the condition of the roof has been a growing concern. Its need for urgent repair has been highlighted in the church’s Quinquennial Reviews, with leaks becoming increasingly frequent and slates regularly being dislodged in windy weather.
Earlier this year, the situation became particularly serious when a new leak sent a considerable amount of water down the side of the church organ and flooded part of the vestry.
Leaving the problem unresolved could put the church’s interior, historic fabric and continued community use at risk.
The solution is a complete re-slating of the roof. The existing slates, stone tabling and lead flashings will be removed, allowing the roof structure to be inspected and repaired where necessary. A breathable insulating membrane will then be installed, followed by the re-use of sound existing slates or new Welsh slates to match. Leadwork will be renewed, the stone tabling re-bedded and the existing UPVC rainwater goods replaced with durable black cast aluminium.
It is a substantial project — and one that a small rural congregation could not undertake alone.
More than a place of worship
St Stephen’s is much more than a church building.
As Barbara Pollard from St Stephen’s explains, the church is at the heart of a small village with no shops, pubs or other amenities. That makes the building particularly important as a place where local people can come together.
Alongside regular Sunday worship, the church hosts baptisms, weddings and funerals, as well as events that reflect the farming traditions of the area, including the annual Plough Service, Harvest Festival and Barn Service.
Its community role extends well beyond the congregation. St Stephen’s provides a base for The Village Singers community choir, a handbell ringers group and a walking group. Concerts, fairs, coffee mornings and other events are also held throughout the year and are well supported by local residents.
The church is open to the public each week, welcoming walkers, cyclists and visitors to the churchyard. With kitchen and toilet facilities available, it provides an accessible and welcoming space for the wider community.
A community pulling together
The congregation has worked tirelessly to raise the money needed to repair the roof. Neighbours, friends and others have generously supported their fundraising, but rapidly rising construction costs have made reaching the target increasingly difficult.
That is where the £5,000 grant from Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust is making a vital difference.
The grant is helping St Stephen’s move closer to the point where the work can begin — protecting the historic building from further water damage while making it warmer, more comfortable and more sustainable for the people who use it.
For the congregation, the benefits will extend far beyond simply having a watertight roof.
“Repairing the roof will enable us to continue to support our local community, will make it much more comfortable to use the church for services and events during cold and wet weather and will help us to achieve our goal of becoming a Net Zero Carbon church too.”
After years of fundraising and increasing urgency, the project offers hope that St Stephen’s can continue doing what it has done for generations: providing a place for worship, celebration, music, friendship and community life.
And thanks to the generosity of local supporters and the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, this important village landmark is one step closer to a secure future.
