The magnificent exterior of the building will not change at all - all the work proposed is inside and many of the interior changes are designed to enhance the appearance of the mediaeval  architecture.

The biggest change will be the replacement of the fixed Victorian pews with good quality, upholstered, wooden chairs. Not only will chairs provide greater comfort but they also provide flexibility to open up the Church for a greater range of activities.

There will be better heating (new, more efficient boilers, more radiators, better draught-proofing). We will clean, make good and re-lime-wash the walls and ceiling - taking care not to damage the  medieval  wall paintings! And the degraded lighting system with be replaced with new wiring and energy efficient lighting designed to enhance the architecture and improve light levels for services and secular events.

New toilet facilities will be created that are wheelchair accessible, that can cater for larger events and that are accessed from inside the Church.

And there will be a small kitchen and a servery at the back of the Nave where we can prepare and serve simple food in the Church – to support fellowship, mission activities and secular events.

This plan illustrates the main changes.

When will it all happen?

We got formal approval for our plans in May 2019 and our architect and consultants completed the detailed design work and issued tender documents in January 2020.  The tenders were returned in late February and  following analysis and interviews one contractor was selected for further discussions. However, in March the coronavirus restrictions came into force and further progress was effectively put on hold for several months.

When the coronavirus restrictions were eased in June 2020 the contract documents were finalised and the contractor submitted an updated tender price which was accepted by the Church PCC on 10th August. We expect the Phase 1 contract to start in September 2020 and to be completed in  about 6 months.

Currently, a start date of Monday 14th September is planned.

Our vision is that St Mary’s Church Renewal will be a sensitive enhancement of this beautiful building to help serve and inspire the people of Purton now and into the future to the glory of God. We believe that the internal renewal of the Church Building – providing a more welcoming, flexible and comfortable environment with many new facilities – is vital for the long term sustainability of our village Church. In particular, the changes will open up the potential for the building to be used more creatively for Church services and also more widely by the community for social and cultural events.

What will it cost?

Carrying out work inside a medieval Grade 1 listed building has to meet high standards and it is not surprising that the Renewal costs will also be high.  We estimate that the work, including design fees will cost over £650k (at 2020 prices).

Where will the money come from?

The majority of these costs is being met by the Church community through the use of reserves, donations and fundraising. We have also received generous grants from Landfill Community Fund, Wiltshire Area Board, Allchurches Trust, Co-op Local Community Fund and Purton Parish Council.

Of course, we would also greatly appreciate  support for the Church Renewal from the wider Purton parish community. If you would like to support the project, just want further information or have any comments please do contact one of the churchwardens - Sandra Horsnall, Jane Smith or Paul Dempsey.  You can also make a donation directly here.