Old church needs £30k for repairs

A medieval church situated near Kidderminster needs thousands of pounds spending on it in order to repair the historic building's crumbling spire.

The 18th century spire at St Cassian's in Chaddesley Corbett has been deteriorating for the past few years and now needs vital works.

The Reverend John Cox said although the exact cost of the repairs was not yet known it was expected to be more than £30,000.

Churchgoers now plan to launch a fundraising campaign early next year to raise the cash to enable the work to be carried out.

Mr Cox said: "There's been some movement within the frame caused by bell-ringing and it has caused some tension in the spire. We need to do some work to strengthen it."

Architects will be examining the damage that has been caused in the spire and assessing what work needs to be carried out.

"We are going to wait and see what they say needs doing before we starting raising money to pay for it," added Mr Cox.

The present church nave at St Cassian's dates from the 12th century. The St Nicholas Chapel was added in the 13th century followed by north and south aisles in the 14th century. The tower and spire were built in the 18th century.