Church Spire Renovation and Re-construction, St Andrew’s United Reformed Church

The project will involve renovation, conservation, and full re-construction of the spire at St Andrew’s URC, Cheltenham.

The church and adjoining building date from 1885-6 and 1895-6 respectively and are Grade II listed. An initial investigatory project (2024/5) involved partially deconstructing the spire to inspect stones. This revealed a greater than expected extent of damage to them from a combination of twisting, rusted Victorian metalwork and 1960s repairs, and an unusual form of pitting in the local Leckhampton stone. The project now involves replacing and refurbishing damaged stones in the part-reconstructed spire and conserving/replacing items including the finial cross and lightning protection equipment.

The church’s spire is cited in the listing document both in relation to the church and as a feature of Cheltenham’s Montpellier Conservation Area. Given this, the spire must be repaired/reinstated and owing to its location in a busy urban area, any risk of collapse must be eliminated for health and safety reasons. In terms of the church’s much-used facilities, the spire is an integral part of the church building and until it is fully restored, some internal and external areas are inaccessible. In 1895/6, ten years after the church was built, an adjacent ‘Lecture Hall’ was added; this new building marked the beginning of the church hosting both church-related and public gatherings.