Last year we gave a £40,000 Cornerstone Grant to St Mary de Castro Church in Leicester, and are thrilled to see that the works have progressed perfectly. A Grade I listed building, St Mary de Castro has been described as the jewel of Leicesters churches. Founded in 1107, the church stands within the precincts of the Royal Castle of Leicester and was once its chapel. As a result, sovereigns of England who stayed at the castle worshipped in the church - King Henry VI was knighted in St Marys in 1426 and it is thought that King Richard IIIs body rested there briefly after the Battle of Bosworth. Geoffrey Chaucher is also believed to have married in this beautiful Leicester landmark. Our major Cornerstone Grant was to help fund major repairs to the church spire, which was suffering from significant cracking. Before the re-build could start, however, the spire had first to be dismantled so that the masons could safely carry out remedial work to the tower and pinnacles. St Marys reports that the remedial work is now done, so congratulations to the church and their team and best of luck with rebuilding your spire! p.s. You can help us to help more churches like St Mary de Castro by becoming a Friend. If you are uncertain, perhaps Rosemary Mason, Appeal Co-ordinator of the Save Our Spire St Mary de Castro Church Appeal, can persuade you: The funding in 2013 of £40,000 from the National Churches Trust has been so important, as it is helping with the cash flow and also assuring us as fundraisers that we are not on our own trying to preserve this historical gem for future generations. We are having tremendous support, guidance and encouragement from all of the staff of the National Churches Trust. Join us here: at nationalchurchestrust.org/support-our-work/become-friend
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 13:40:21 +0000
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