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Good Will and Hard Work Triumphs at Peper Harow
When a nearby resident noticed the sky lit up above Peper Harow Church on Christmas Eve 2007, there was fear the St. Nicholas Church, which dates back to 1301, was damaged beyond repair.
Fifty fire fighters battled to save the burning church throughout the night but the fire ravaged the building; the bells came crashing down as the Tower and Nave were gutted and the roof destroyed, leaving no trace of the magnificent church organ; only the Midleton Chapel and the Chancel survived, with relatively minor heat and smoke damage.
Despite the chaos and amid the rubble, all hope was not lost, as the rector, the Rev John Fellows, rallied his parishioners in a bid to turn the disaster into a positive – the Church was insured and the rebuild could be a chance to invigorate both the building and its people.
Work began on site in early December 2009, both the Midleton Chapel and Chancel contained extensive works by Pugin, which required sensitive cleaning and conservation work. The ceiling of the Chapel had to be repainted, including all gilding, though an original panel was left for records. The Nave and Tower both had to have new floor constructions, re plastered lime walls and new roofs and much of the internal stonework also had to be replaced, due to fractures caused by the high temperature levels, which exceeded 550°C.
Due to the insurance policy terms being on a ‘like for like’ basis, the PCC took the decision that improvements would be funded by forgoing other insurance work that they deemed could be left out of the re-building works. Before the fire, the Church was heated by a basic electric warm air system and heaters on the pews; the restoration allowed for a new under floor heating system to be installed in order to give more constant heat, which is powered through solar panels on the Tower roof and an air source heat pump. In addition, where possible, new insulation Hasopor recycled foam glass has been used under the new Limcrete floor slabs and hemp batts used in the new roof construction. The renewable energy elements carried their own issues as the Church is Grade 11* Listed, though work with the Conservation teams ensured that this was not compromised.
The Church is due to open in June 2011 and all are delighted with the results to date. Purcell Miller Tritton is the Architect and has ensured the Church has been restored over and above its former glory. The re-building works were carried out by Valley Builders Ltd of East Grinstead.
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