A grant of £132,337 from the National Churches Trust means urgent roof repairs can be made to Kendal’s Quaker Meeting House.
It is one of 15 historic buildings in the country to benefit from a recent £2 million award made by Historic England to the trust to save places of worship.
The Grade II Listed Georgian building is one of the finest in Cumbria; it was designed by local architect Francis Webster in 1816 as a purpose-built Quaker Meeting House.
“Keeping this wonderful building in good repair is very important,” said Bridget Guest, Quaker Tapestry’s general manager.
“It’s not only a place of peace and worship, it’s also home to our museum. It’s a lively centre of education and other activities, with our rooms used by community groups and local businesses.
“It means a ‘once in a century’ job can go ahead, and last for another century. The original parallel pitched roofs, made of graduated Cumbrian slate will be refurbished along with the lead valley and gable-end chimneys.”
The new roof will bring energy and nature conservation benefits too. Breathable underfelt and other ventilation measures will address condensation issues and solar panels are planned. Bat boxes will accommodate lone male pipistrelle bats.
The work will also safeguard an important feature in the roof – the original winding gear which raised screens that divided the large ground floor room in two – a distinctive feature of older Quaker Meeting Houses.
Ros Batchelor, chair of the Quaker Tapestry Finance Committee, said: “We are very grateful that Historic England and the National Churches Trust have provided this major grant. Fundraising during the pandemic has been a huge challenge, as we have had to meet our core funding needs too. We can finally proceed with essential work identified several years ago.
“On a personal note, I am delighted the grant has come through in the year of my 50th wedding anniversary. My husband and I were married in the Meeting House in June 1971.”
The total cost of the present work, which has just begun, is £366,000. Much of the income has been raised from local Quaker funds, other grants and donations.
The Quaker Tapestry Museum was recently named, and for the third time, a Visit England Hidden Gem. It recognises visitor attractions offering an outstanding visitor experience. The Museum is open until December 11 and reopens on January 12.
