The restoration of the crumbling stonework round the south clerestory windows and tower steps at All Saints’, Sherburn in Elmet, is now complete.
Churchwarden Ken Stott said, "Generous grants from The All Churches Trust, the Jill Franklin Trust and Sir John Priestman Charity Trust together with the church’s own fund raising efforts provided a basis for this £60,000 project. However without the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund, after after English Heritage put the building at High Risk, the clerestory would probably have become unsafe. As it is the stone has been replaced, the glass re-leaded, replacing many broken pieces and the old, expensive external lighting removed.
The lights have been replaced with low maintenance, low wattage halogen fittings inside the nave. At the same time the eroded tower steps have also been replaced or re-surfaced and a rope hand rail installed – "this latter being paid for by the bell ringers."
This work, carried out with faculty permission and the support of the DAC, constitutes the first and most urgent stage of the project to repair external eroded stonework and replace some of the dangerous timber flooring inside the church. Fund raising efforts are continuing to provide a basis to pay for the second stage as the building still remains at risk.