St Edmund’s Church, also known locally as Bottom Church, will receive cash to repair its roof, drainage systems and stonework that dates back to the early 18th century.
The church’s warden, Jon Harcourt has welcomed the new funding, sharing that the church has struggled for “many years to keep the damp out”.
St Edmund’s church is among seven heritage sites in the Midlands getting funding for much-needed works.
The church has also featured on the Heritage at Risk register for nearly 20 years.
Jon Harcourt, Church Warden at St Edmund’s Church said:
“Hello and welcome to St Edmund’s Church, the oldest church in Dudley. There’s been a church on this site for over 1200 years.
“Recently, we have discovered that more work is to be done, we have struggled for many years to keep the damp out but unfortunately age has taken its toll.
“This particular building is three hundred years old.
“In the 1950s and 1960s post-war the workmanship on the roof of the church in the gutters and the turrets was using a lot of ‘Black Jack’ and that was going to last forever until it has cracked.
“In the last two year’s we’ve discovered that a lot of work has been done on the church. We couldn’t afford to do it, so we have applied for Heritage England for support and we’ve discovered that we need about £600,000 to carry out the work.
“We couldn’t afford to do that like many other churches so we have asked for help from Heritage England.
“I’m really grateful to them for the work that they’ve put in and the work that the church has put in to get this far to raise the money.
“When you’ve got a church that has seen many years, lived through the Great Fire of Dudley in 1485, and had oaks from Kinver sent by King Richard III.
“We believe that this is the fourth or fifth church on this site, and with the work that we are going to do, hope it will continue for many years I’ve gone and the grandchildren coming up, and perhaps they may not have the same problem that we the congregation of St. Edmund’s have had over the past few years.”
Take a look to see the repair works needed at the church:
5. St Edmund's Church, Dudley
The church will receive funding for much-needed repairs. | Iconic Media Resell
6. St Edmund's Church, Dudley
The church will receive funding for much-needed repairs. | Iconic Media Resell
7. St Edmund's Church, Dudley
The church will receive funding for much-needed repairs. | Iconic Media Resell
8. St Edmund's Church, Dudley
The church will receive funding for much-needed repairs. | Iconic Media Resell