A £1 MILLION plan has been unveiled to renovate and repair historic St Swithun’s Church in Bridport in time for its 200th birthday.
St Swithun’s Church is an unusual Georgian church built in 1827 in Allington and is a Grade 2 listed building.
But it suffers from damp problems and has poor disabled access.
Now the Bridport Team Ministry is planning to repair and renew the building to better serve its purpose, and the needs of the community.
The project is in its very early days, but is expected to cost somewhere around £1m, and take several years to complete before its 200th birthday in 2027.
Local consultant Crystal Johnson, has been appointed to the role of Project Manager.
She has worked on some high-profile projects in the town, including the Bridport Literary & Science Institute, the Bridport Museum and the Town Hall.
Crystal is also familiar with working on religious buildings and has recently completed work on Blandford Forum Parish Church, Exeter Cathedral and the Tolpuddle Old Chapel.
June Goodburn is the church’s oldest member and part of the Steering Committee. She has known Crystal for many years, even nursing her after she was born.
June Goodburn and Crystal Johnson
Crystal said: “I was surprised and pleased to see that June was involved in this new project.
“It shows just what a loyal community of St Swithun’s is and how committed they are to devoting time and funds to fashioning this beautiful building and its exterior for the 21st century.
“I’m looking forward to working with this team of expert architects and members of the Bridport Team community to see this wonderful project realized.”
Some early considerations for renovations include building a welcome area, additional parking space, better visibility through the garden and changing heating to passive energy-exchange techniques to replace the inefficient gas boiler.
The Steering Group, chaired by St Swithun’s treasurer Philip Sturrock, have been set up to handle the 200 year redesign, and want the church to be more visible, accessible, flexible and welcoming.
Philip said: “We have big ambitions and we need to consult widely about the ways to realize them.
“Then we shall need to run a major fundraising campaign and commission an extensive building programme.”
An open meeting was held last September to look at initial ideas and more consultation is planned.
