All Saints Brandon Parva 20/04/2010 A typical mediaeval parish church of flint and limestone construction with nave, chancel, south porch and a west tower. The church is remote from the main settlement and surrounded by fields open. General summary of the work: Two phases of work have been undertaken, the first being the replacement of the nave and chancel roofs and rainwater goods, and the second phase the consolidation and repair of the tower. Principal issues to be overcome: On the nave: • Retention of as much as possible of the historic timber roof structure, whilst providing a new lead roof protected to the best modern recommendations. • The repair of the ornate Victorian ironwork forming the gutters and downpipes, including sourcing spares and appropriate craftsmen. To the tower: • Working out a scheme of structural repair to consolidate all four walls of the tower, allowing for future movement caused by the proximity of mature trees. • The sourcing of appropriate flint, brick and stone sufficient to undertake appropriate repair. • Undertaking the initial inspection safely. • Bats. The church is a relatively simple building and reasonably well documented. A historic report was required for the second stage of the work, which identified a broad 15th century date for the original construction of the tower, completed in a single phase. The bell frame within the tower was of similar date to the rest of the tower, but stonework forming the archway to the east entrance into the nave appeared to be later. There was a clear history of continuing movement of the tower. A timber form was placed in the eastern archway in the early 1990s to prevent major collapse.

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