2 weeks Ago
Extensive renovation work and improvements to a parish church have been finished after human bones were discovered and given a re-burial. The completion of phase one at St Margaret’s Church, a Grade II* listed building, was timed for a Mothering Sunday event. Parker & Son, a Sussex building firm, began the project in April last year.
St Margaret’s stands in the historic area of Rottingdean and is known for its seven stained glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. This project forms part of the Church of England’s ‘re-ordering’ programme. The programme involves adapting church buildings to fit changing needs for worship, community outreach, and secular uses, while keeping their main purpose as places of worship.
With this work now complete, the reordered church building in Rottingdean will be able to host various community events. Much of the renovation focused on modernising the church’s heating and flooring. Underfloor heating was installed and the floor replaced with Jura stone imported from Germany.
The completion of phase one at St Margaret’s Church (Image: Blueberry PR) The underfloor heating supports the Church Council’s aim for St Margaret’s to become an ECO Church. In the porch area, the floor has been renewed with quarry tiles. Michael Maddox, St Margaret's Rottingdean, development project manager, said: "The St Margaret’s Church, Rottingdean, development project was being managed to our entire satisfaction - challenges were met with a positive professional attitude and all work undertaken to a high standard.
"We particularly enjoyed engaging with Rick Kirk and the Parker workforce ‘family’ – a team committed to producing a quality reordering of our historic, much-loved church building." Other work included removing the Victorian pews and their platforms, relocating the font, building a new platform and ramp at the east end, updating audio visual systems, and re-decorating the church throughout. New glazed doors have been installed between the porch and the main church.
The doors are engraved with a logo based on the stone cross above the West Door. The building firm worked alongside architects Thomas Ford & Partners, Jupiter Underfloor Heating, GB Tiling, and Walco Electric, who each provided specialist services. The project involved challenges, especially given the church’s long history and listed status.
James Parker, managing director of Parker & Son, added: "Rick and the team has very much enjoyed working on this beautiful church. "The project did prove challenging at times, however. For instance, when the old, rotting flooring was removed, we discovered buried human bones and charred timbers as well as extensive damp problems.
"As an ancient, listed building, this meant getting archaeologists into survey and analyse the materials discovered which took seven weeks to complete. "The human remains that were found have been placed together in the nave and have received a proper re-burial. "An original Anglo-Saxon wall was also discovered as part of the archaeological work.
" Phase two of the project is now in fundraising, with plans for accessible toilets, baby-changing facilities, an improved kitchen, a new vestry, and a meeting room. Planning permission is already granted, but the next phase needs Faculty approval. St Margaret’s dates from the early 11th century and is Saxon in origin.
It was built on rising ground to show its importance to the community. The church has been a place for praise, worship, baptisms, marriages, and burials since Saxon and Norman times. A replica of St Margaret’s stands in Los Angeles, at the Church of the Recessional in Forest Lawn.
The seven stained glass windows, made by William Morris & Co from Sir Edward Burne-Jones’s designs, are among the church’s chief glories and are widely considered some of their finest work..
