Project Summary

 

The South Porch of St Michael's Church is Grade I listed and believed to date back to the mid 15th Century. Built from Magnesian Limestone (Dolomite – calcium magnesium carbonate) the South Porch is one of the biggest medieval porches in Suffolk and is highly adorned with motifs, niches and ornamentation with the addition of the stair turret on the west elevation.

 

The Friends of St Michael's Church, Beccles raised the funds for The Pounds for the Porch Campaign through extensive fundraising including the local community and local businesses. The campaign was supported with funding from charities including the Beccles Townlands Trust and the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.

 

Aldis and May were appointed as a specialist conservation contractor to undertake the conservation of the exterior elevations and turret of the South Porch. The primary aims of the agreed conservation works were to stabilise and conserve the porch with a particular focus on the decorative ornamentation and to take appropriate measures to prevent/minimise further deterioration. In addition, sympathetic restoration of some areas to full profile would be necessary to ensure sufficient water runoff and to achieve a cohesive legibility and interpretation.