WORK will start this month to lay new lead on the north aisle roof of a popular Brent Knoll church.

The lead covering the roof of St Michael’s Church was stolen in August last year and in a bid to repair it the church friends launched an appeal to raise £45,000.

The 96 panel medieval carved wooden ceiling, which dates back to 1480, was under threat after lead from the church’s roof was stolen and rain water was leaking through the ceiling causing damage.

Gerard Keele, friends co-ordinator at St Michael’s Church in Brent Knoll, said church trustees applied for grants to help fund the repair works and The National Lottery Heritage Fund are supplying a grant that will cover half the cost of the work.

Further funding has come from a local charities including the Nuttall Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Wolfson ChurchCare and the Somerset Churches Trust.

The roof protects the medieval ceiling and the Friends of St Michael’s Church raised a substantial sum through an appeal to Save Our Special Ceiling.

Mr Keele said: “We are very grateful to our grant funders and local people and businesses who have supported our project.

“West Country Tiling Company of Frome will be carrying out the building work.

“The National Lottery Heritage Fund is also supporting a community involvement project that will run for three years after the building work is completed.

“This is entitled Promoting Education About Church Heritage, or PEACH for short.

“As part of this project we shall be working with children in Brent Knoll Primary School, and other local groups, to promote the heritage in the church and the churchyard.

“There will be an arts and crafts exhibition in the church in 2021 themed around the church’s heritage.

“Other events will include a churchyard open day and an opportunity to see how bell ringing is done. A dedicated website will also be set up that will explain the church’s Christian Heritage.”