
Just in time?
The story of the recent renovations to St John The Baptist, Hawkchurch – with thanks to Angela Dudley and Jean Ransford for providing the information and pictures
The Original Plan
Not Good News
The upper sections of the buttresses on the west and south faces of the tower had been re-clad a long time ago but none of the cladding had been fixed in and was just held by the mortar that backed it. Over time a lot of the mortar had been washed away and there was nothing to hold the cladding in place. Some similar cladding, with the same problems, was evident on the south-eastern buttress as well. A structural engineer advised that the solution was to drill 117 holes, insert 8 mm thick stainless-steel bars in each one and bind them in place with specialised grout, in order to link the ham stone to the internal walls.
Wobbly West Window

Timeline of expansion, rebuild and restoration of St John the Baptist Church.
Collapsing Clocks
The Missing E

Paying The Price
The Buck Stops Here
Where The Bucks Come From
Being an Orphan Doesn't Help

Ways to Help
Donate now
You can make a one-off donation now through the Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/stjohns-hawkchurch
Your donation can be anonymous or you can leave us a message – it’s up to you. Whatever you can give helps.
You can become a Friend of St John's
Friends of St John’s is a fund set up to help pay for routine maintenance and small scale repairs to the building. You can give as little or as much as you want and can pay monthly or annually. Contact Sue Cowling to find out how you can help.
Support our fund-raising events
Combine a little entertainment with your generosity and you will help us keep this beautiful building for future generations to enjoy. Come to the Christmas Tree Festival and see the amazing efforts from young and old. Check out our latest events to see what else is happening.