A RESTORATION of a rural church chancel has been completed after a five-year renovation project.
The comprehensive restoration of the chancel decoration at St Dubricius Church in Hentland near Ross will delight those who have not already seen it.
The original, dated 1853, was a rare work of architect John Pollard Seddon (1827-1906), whose main oeuvre was as an architect, including the design of the Grade I-listed St Catherine’s Hoarwithy Church in the same parish.
The whole programme, which cost nearly £200,000, also included a new roof, complete dismantling and rebuilding of the 1869 JW Walker organ and improved drainage.
The cost was mainly covered by a grant from the Heritage Lottery of £115,000, Hereford Cathedral under its historic Chancel Repair Liability, the Jordan Charitable Foundation and the parish’s own resources.
The project took much longer than scheduled, which was originally estimated at being between four to six months.
In the event, Covid-19 appeared along with its associated lockdowns, preventing anyone being allowed near the place, except for the presence of a family of bats nesting and raising their young in the chancel roof.
The church is required by law to inform Natural England who confirmed that as a protected species, the bats must be left totally undisturbed to live and raise their young, except two five-week periods in April/May and October/November.
To mark the restoration the Musical and Amicable Society will be bringing their period instruments to Hentland on Saturday, June 15, to perform Fiddlers Three, a programme of pieces by several composers of the period, some well-known, others less so.
The three fiddlers each have a solo number, while the other instruments, including a guitar, bass viol, harpsichord and spinet all have a chance to show off solo or in ensemble.
Among the composers featured are Henry Purcell (1659-1695), John Jenkins (1592-1678), Gottfried Finger (1655-1730), Thomas Baltzar (1631-1663) and Lambert Peitkin (1613-1696).
The concert starts at 7.30pm and has been generously funded by the Alan Cadbury Charitable Trust.
Tickets are £20 each (free U18s and full-time students) available from amicables.co.uk and on the door.
There is a glass of wine or other refreshment and canapés in the interval. Enquiries 01989 730439.