The responsibility of caring for a medieval building is expensive and an ongoing battle, but from time to time, such buildings throw up additional challenges that are way beyond our means. We have arrived at such a time in Ross.

The problems and possible solutions in brief

In August 2025 one of the four pinnacles at the top of the tower was seen to be swaying. A thorough inspection by a team of steeplejacks later in the week revealed a problem with three pinnacles: the mortar joints between the top five or six stones have broken down and the pinnacles are only held in place by a stainless steel rod that runs through the centre of them. The solution will be to rebuild the tops of these 3 pinnacles. These repairs are urgent.

Unrelated repairs to the lightning conductor at the very top of the spire (210 feet up), a few weeks later, then revealed a similar problem with the spire, coupled with a badly rusting steel rod running down through the top, solid section of the spire that is beginning to cause the stonework to fracture as the rod expands. The solution will be to dismantle the top section of the spire and rebuild it. This is less urgent work than the pinnacles.

The Pinnacles – more detail

This work is far from straightforward. The three pinnacles were new in 1985, they were partially dismantled and rebuilt with changes to the stainless steel rod and pinning in 2009. This was part of a £200,000 project on the tower and spire generally. It is clear that something beyond ordinary weathering is causing the problem. Much work is going on at present, including with computer models to try to determine the cause of the problem so that the next repair also addresses the root of the problem.

We are currently looking at undertaking the work in two phases:

  • De-risking (development stage) – this will make the pinnacles safe again for the short to medium term. it will also involve some partial dismantling which will also help us to understand what the problem might be. This work needs to happen as soon as possible.
  • Long term repairs – once the problem has been identified and a permanent solution is found, work will begin on a more permanent fix. At the same time the problems with the spire will also be addressed. This will be particularly expensive and is certainly beyond our means, financially. It can only start when we have secured funding from major national funders.

What are the alternatives?

Whatever we do will be expensive. Some have already questioned the wisdom of putting the pinnacles back, indeed one option would be to remove them entirely. This would have a detrimental effect on the landscape of the town, and we feel should be a last resort. Long term Ross residents may remember the church only had one pinnacle from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s. A less drastic option may be to remodel them, or even to replace part of them with a fibreglass solution – as is the case with the whole spire at Peterchurch, in the Golden Valley.

Heritage funding exists, however, precisely for this sort of work and it would seem to make sense to access it for our town. St Mary’s Church is often described as the “jewel in the crown of Ross”, it is one of the nations great landmark churches, it has a very graceful spire, and the four pinnacles contribute to that. It could be argued that we have a duty to preserve what has been there for many centuries and to pass it on to future generations. As a community, we celebrated the 400th anniversary of The Man of Ross in 2024. One of John Kyrle’s final acts in 1721 was to work for the restoration of the spire and the pinnacles. It seems wrong to allow them to disappear so soon after that.

What do you think?

St Mary’s Church in the early 1980s, with three missing pinnacles (awaiting replacement)

Who is doing this work?

We’re a long way from appointing contractors. But we have a professional team working on the project.

Bonnie Kitching Architect
John Topp Structural Engineer
Robert Kilgour CDM Adviser (Heath & Safety)
Hannah Vernon Professional Fundraiser

And more locally we have a group working specifically on the project.

Fundraising

We’re a long way off the prospect of fundraising for the bulk of this work – we need a clearer idea of what’s involved and therefore the cost (but it’s likely to be in excess of £500,000). We have already begun to look for funding for the de-risking work though.

In the meantime we’re delighted that many people and groups in the town have already started to come to our aid, even before we have asked. This is so very valuable to us as it begins to demonstrate local commitment to the building and to the project – all very helpful as we approach major national funders for their help. These are:

  • £1000 – Herefordshire Historic Churches Trust towards costs of a professional fundraiser
  • £1000 has been given by an anonymous individual doner
  • £1000 from Barratt Homes for the disabled ramp,
  • £1500 from The Ross Choristers – from their Christmas concert (held in the church)
  • The Ross Penyard Singers have held a raffle for us at a recent concert.
  • Schools holding Christmas services in church have given us their retiring collections.
  • A friend of St Mary’s is pursuing a grant application of their own and funding from the Roaring Megs.
  • Ed Swindells (wildlife photographer) is raising funds for us via his YouTube channel.
  • St Mary’s Choir will be out and about singing evensong in other churches this summer and hoping for some sponsorship
  • Private donation of £50
  • Private party in July – donations to the spire fund

Bells

One consequence of the structural problems in the spire has been the silencing of our bells. The lack of ringing has been a disappointment especially for major festivals, in the celebration of weddings and acknowledgement of other significant events. There is no direct evidence that the bells contributed to the cause of the damage, however, when all eight are ringing they exert very large forces on the fabric of the tower. The weight of each of the heaviest of the bells is about the same as a small car and there is therefore, a risk that the movement of the bells could cause further damage. Ringing was stopped immediately when the pinnacle movement was noticed and the bells will remain silent until all assessments have been done, vital work has been completed and the risk assessment indicates that it is safe to recommence ringing.

Access

We regret that we’ve had to close the path below the tower. We have been advised to do this by our team of professionals to protect the public. This has also meant that disabled access into the building had been removed. A temporary ramp has been constructed at the other end of the church to assist those who need level access into the building and through the churchyard.