Work on the damaged wall began on June 5, after the collapse was brought to the attention of the North East Derbyshire District council. The council announced that not only would the collapsed portion be repaired, but that there would be a complete rebuild of the entire section of wall. The job was undertaken by Gary Fletcher Surfacing Dronfield, who completed the work in around 14 days.
Rodney Leighton, the PCC warden of St Bartholomew’s and North Wingfield Parish says: “The Church is very impressed with the workmanship.”
St Bartholomew’s Church have provided a number of photographs documenting the work put into restoring the wall to it’s former glory. Here is a timeline of this process, shown through photos.
1. Work begins
The rebuild of the collapsed wall began on the 5th June. The first step was the dismantling of the entire wall's brickwork, including the collapsed section. Photo: 3rd party
2. Debris
Damaged brickwork and other debris were put to one side and later cleared away. Photo: 3rd party
3. Brickwork ready to be re-mortared
Intact brickwork and masonry was also put to one side, ready to be recycled and used to rebuild the wall. Photo: 3rd party
4. The rebuild begins
The first layers of brickwork are re-laid. A special lime-based mortar is used to hold the bricks and masonry together - as is the norm in church buildings. Photo: 3rd party