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The All Saints’ Tower
Appeal
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“I used to sing in the choir.” “I was baptized
there.” “My parents were married there.”
The church tower and spire are a familiar landmark in Hessle, but it
needs your help. The tower is suffering from the effects of 600
years of weather.
This church – Grade I listed – is the most beautiful thing
you see in your daily life in Hessle and one of the reasons why Hessle
is such a good place to live. It is there for all the people of Hessle,
not just church members. That is what being the established church
means. Just think of all the people who have been baptized or married
here, or found comfort and friendship after a bereavement. We are here
for the schools and civic services, and for the day of Hessle Feast, and
last year 3365 people came to
the Christmas and carol services (2293 adults and 1072 under 16s). Help
us to keep the building in shape for the people of this village. |
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The story begins with the quinquennial Inspection of the Inspecting Architect in 2017. (By law, all churches have to be
inspected every five years and the Architect provides details of work
that is needed as the basis for future repairs and maintenance.) On this
occasion we were very concerned at the deterioration that had taken
place to the stonework and roof covering of the tower since the
inspection five years before, and the Tower Appeal was launched
in October 2019. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is the Patron.
The photograph
shows just one part of the problem – a movement crack on the east side
of the tower. You can see it clearly if you stand in front of My
Dentist. In addition, the inspection revealed
• noticeable open joints; one or two large
ashlars have cracks; and there is movement in the corners which may be
associated with the concrete lining to the tower parapet gutter and the
ad hoc concrete “buttressing” behind each corner pinnacle;
• some badly weathered pinnacles;
• at some time in the past, and we do not know
when or why, concrete has been laid over lead on the roof and both are
breaking up;
• old corner tie-rods embedded into the
buttressing and adjacent walls are rusting;
and
• there are multiple cracks in the transoms of
the mullioned windows. |
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The cost is
estimated at “up to” £200,000. That figure includes generous
contingency sums as the Architect does not know what he is going to find
when the roof covering comes up.
By mid-February £24,070 had been raised locally
through events such as a sponsored run to Normanby Hall, a table-top sale, a Quiz night, a Humber Bridge Cross, a Last
Night of the Proms, monies from the church Lenten lunches and a monthly
draw called the 100 Club. In particular, a leaflet-and-envelope
drop at all homes and businesses in the HU13 postcode area has drawn a
very pleasing response from local people who are not church members but
see All Saints’ as their church.
A successful Jubilee Flower festival raised £2600.
Thank you to all who have
responded and supported the Appeal. We are particularly grateful to
all who have worked to bring this about, and to those who donated money,
including the
Rotary Club of Hull and the organizers of the Hessle West Open Gardens
Day 2019. The next step will be to approach grant-giving
bodies. |
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In 2025 Brian Gilliland joined the appeal committee and
managed the grant applications.
With the generosity of the following charitable trusts:
National Lottery Heritage Fund
National Churches Trust
Garfield Weston Foundation
Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust
Sabina Sutherland Charitable Trust
and the continuing contribution of the donations from the many
organised local events we reached our target to start the work in late
2025.
This work is due for completion in July/August 2026.
A celebratory event is planned for All Saints Day November 1st 2026.
All Saints’ Church invites you to find out more about our project and to register your interest in art, music and dance opportunities over the next few months. “The history of Hessle has always been interwoven with All Saints’ Church, as is community life today. The project, alongside our restoration of the tower, will explore that heritage and those connections, and in doing so, give them new life. We will not just restore the building, but through art, dance and music, it will help maintain the living heritage of the community, involving new generations in sharing all that makes Hessle what it is and always has been.”-
Vicar Rev Gemma
Turner |
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Contact All
Saints' Community Co-ordinator - Thomas Richardson for more
information:-
01 482 647409. email Paul.RRG@outlook.com |
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| Contingency funding is required for extra work discovered
during the project.
To donate,
please make cheques out to ‘All Saints Hessle PCC’ and write
"Tower Appeal" on the back of the cheque; or you can give electronically at a/c no. 50700061, sort
code 20 43 47, using reference ‘AS Tower Appeal’, or donate by cash
at the church.
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Please remember that the Gift Aid scheme increases
the value of donations by 25%.
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