Can you put the iconic angels of St Wendreda’s Church March in their realms of sponsorship glory this Christmas?
Hark! The Fenland angels are calling.
A Fenland church – known nationwide for the host of angels adorning its magnificent roof – is inviting the public to sponsor the winged wonders as it bids to raise up to £250,000 to save its spire.
As previously reported in the Citizen the iconic spire at St. Wendreda’s Church in March, has substantial structural issues and consequently, for safety reasons, the bells can no longer be rung.
A six-figure fundraising programme is required to save the structure, so parishioners have come up with a creative way to raise essential funds.
“Looking to gift a meaningful present to a loved one this Christmas? Why not take the opportunity to sponsor one of the 118 decoratively-carved angels on the roof,” said the Rev Ruth Clay, priest at St Wendreda’s.
She continued: “The church has one of the finest ‘double-hammer beam’ angel roofs in Britain, and we’re offering everyone a wonderful opportunity to choose their favourite angel or figure and have it sponsored in their own or their company’s name.
“Every person who sponsors an angel or heavenly figure will receive a recent, high resolution photograph. This memento will provide a record of their generous gift for years to come.”
Ruth is recording each sponsor in a special book and all sponsorship monies will go to the church’s spire appeal.
Initial investigations to repair the spire have been carried out, including examinations by spire experts, plus structural and scaffolding surveys. The spire is held up by a series of ‘tie bars’ that criss-cross the structure.
The tie-bars have corroded and the stonework around them needs repair. Mortar around the spire also needs replacing. Estimates to fix the spire, including professional fees, is around £250,000.
Sponsorship of the carved figures range from £75 for a roof boss, to £200 for a saint or musician. Angels can be sponsored for £150 each. A sponsorship form is available on the March Churches website https://marchteamministry.co.uk/st-wendredas. Interested parties are then given access to a photo library from which they can make a selection.
“As we count down to Christmas, sponsoring an angel or other carved figure is a special way to spread festive love and cheer, and support the spire appeal at the same time,” said Ruth. “The church is open daily from approximately 9am to 5pm for anyone to call by and spend a quiet moment gazing up at the roof and choosing their cherub.”
St Wendreda’s Church is a mix of 13th, 14th, 16th, and 19th century architecture and is the only church in the UK dedicated to the 7th century Saxon princess saint.
The famous roof was constructed during the early 16th century and unusually, the tower has a right of way running through its base.
Of the 118 wooden carved angels, some figures depict saints and martyrs, and others hold medieval musical instruments and tools used by the trade at that time. The roof has a ‘spoiler’ which craftsmen added to ‘spoil’ the angelic scene. It is of a green man, rather than a winged angel.