A COMMUNITY project has been granted £178,000 in National Lottery funding towards its plans to save, explore and celebrate the heritage of a Grade I-listed Italianate and Byzantine-style Wyeside church.

The Hoarwithy Vision Project is supporting St Catherine’s, which was transformed in the late 19th century by architect JP Seddon into an extraordinary building rich in decorative detail, and is widely recognised for its architectural and historic interest.

Described by the renowned architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as “the most impressive Victorian church in the county”, the church originally built in 1840 is listed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and the need for conservation action is urgent.

Roof failures, drainage issues and masonry decay are allowing rainwater and damp into the building, which is damaging the building’s historic fabric and interior finishes.

Without intervention, deterioration will continue and repair costs will escalate, putting the future of the nationally important village church at significant risk.

The Hoarwithy Vision Project aims to secure the future of St Catherine’s Church through urgent repair planning and the development of a sustainable programme that will help more people enjoy and engage with its heritage.

As part of this an interpretation plan will be created with the input from local volunteers to ensure inclusive physical and digital interpretation that is accessible to a wide range of audiences.

Development funding of £178,784 has been awarded by the Lottery’s Heritage Fund to help the Parochial Church Council progress its plans, which will fund the detailed work needed to prepare a robust second-round application to the National Lottery for a grant of £1.4m, to ultimately deliver a high-quality, sustainable project of repairs and public engagement.

The church occupies a dramatic setting overlooking the Wye Valley, and is valued by the local community, its congregation, and the many visitors who explore the area on foot, by bike and on the river.

Churchwardens Peter Pember and Jeff Goulding said in a joint statement: “We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we can now develop our plans to secure the future of our church through urgent repairs and an appealing activity and interpretation programme, which will enable more people to enjoy and learn about the heritage of our church and its idyllic setting.”

Development activities include planning the conservation works and conducting investigations and architectural and ecological surveys, along with the production of key conservation documents ,including a conservation management plan along with its maintenance provisions and a preparation of detailed plans, drawings and specifications to support procurement of permissions and contractors.

Also proposed is the creation of a sustainable activity plan shaped by research, consultation, testing and evaluation, with hands-on and multi-generational opportunities, environmental engagement and oral history activities.

Other plans include developing specialist support and devising plans for long-term resilience, income generation and visitor growth.

Over the coming months, there will be opportunities for local people, volunteers and partner organisations to get involved as plans develop.