A Grade II* parish church in Ingham, Suffolk, of fourteenth century or earlier origins, which was much restored in 1861.
The practice had been undertaking the Quinquennial Inspections of the church since 1971 and over the years had assisted on the design and construction of a North extension to house a WC and in 2006 a major phase of repairs was undertaken to the nave roof, which had been in a parlous condition. The roof was stripped, the structure repaired and the roof retiled. The ceiling of the nave was re-plastered, the floor of the nave partially re-laid, windows re-glazed and the whole interior redecorated.
The Quinquennial inspection of 2010 identified the next pressing issue that had to be addressed was the tower, which for some time had exhibited cracking in the corner buttresses, failing quoins, drip course stones and facing flint-work all at high level much of the damage to the tower faces and buttresses had been caused by long term erosion of the mortar. The corrugated iron covering to the tower roof had perished and the stone and brickwork to the tower parapet was also in a poor condition. All the defects were classed as major priority issues.
A grant application for the repairs was submitted to English Heritage who concurred that the condition was such that a grant was offered towards the cost of the repairs.
Works were finally commenced in February 2013 and were completed in June and included replacement of the corrugated iron roof covering of the pitched roof to the tower with a Code 7 cast lead sheet finish, laid on new timber boarding; the two rotten parapet gutters were replaced and the linings renewed and defective lead chutes renewed; replacement of damaged parapet and drip course stonework; merlon brick work; major re-pointing to all the elevations of the tower walling and buttresses; rebuilding of the failing flint face work around the North and South gargoyle chutes and stitching of cracks in the buttresses
As the project progressed it was discovered that the condition of South and East parapet walls was far worse than anticipated so they had to be dismantled and reconstructed using all the salvaged flint and stone.
