St Laurence Church in Stroud has received initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the project “St Laurence Restored: Protecting Stroud’s Historic Heart”, it was announced today. Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, the project aims to carry out urgent repairs and secure the future of the Grade II* listed church as a key community asset for the town.
Development funding of up to £225,636 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help St Laurence Church progress plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of about £1.9 million at a later date.
St Laurence Church stands at the centre of Stroud and is an important Victorian church that includes a 14th-century tower and spire which together comprise the oldest structure in the town. It is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and without action, the building would be at risk of closure.
A detailed survey of the building in 2022 highlighted urgent repair needs for the roof, outside stonework, rainwater goods and stained-glass windows. The St Laurence Restored project will address all these needs. The first stage of the project, the Development Phase, will focus on preparing detailed plans and costings for the restoration works and start engaging the wider community in the rich heritage of the building.
Hugh Richards, a churchwarden at St Laurence, said: “We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans to save this much-loved building and ensure it continues to serve the whole community of Stroud for generations to come. We expect this Development Phase to run until November 2026. After that we will apply for Delivery Phase funding to carry out the massive repair works and an exciting programme of heritage engagement activities to suit all sorts of people. We hope to see the church swathed in a scaffolding cocoon sometime in 2027 and emerge restored in 2028. In the meantime, we will be very glad to hear from anyone who has skills and experience that could help us with this largely behind-the-scenes stage of the project.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “St Laurence Church is a much-loved landmark of Stroud’s heritage and community life. This project will not only address urgent repair needs but also connect people with the rich heritage on their doorstep. We look forward to working with the team to progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date.”