St Thomas of Canterbury Church , Frisby : toilet & servery project

May 2022

Frisby DCC is very relieved and happy to announce completion of this project at the end of April 2022. It took 5 months to complete although projected to be only 3.5.

We estimate that the project took about 4 years in the planning. Being a grade 1 listed building , as we are, faculties had to be obtained to begin with from the Diocese and Chancellor in London with the architects plans being scrutinized by at least 20 societies concerned with the preservation of ancient buildings. With the help of the Diocese the comments they made were either quashed or taken into account.

Then came the batman. We knew that he would evidence of bats roosting just outside the vestry and the concern was whether, by making a new entrance into the vestry, we would disrupt them. Luckily the project was carried out at a time of year of maximum hibernation. If not, then it was either not possible to do the work or to buy an extremely expensive licence.

Naturally during the external working in the graveyard as the drains were laid and internally when the vestry wall was knocked through to make a new doorway an archaeologist had to be present . The charges for this were “eye watering” and we still await their main invoice.

Being connected to water (and hot water) for the first time in 800 years still gives us an unexpected pleasure each time the tap is turned on . Being able to offer toilet facilities is even better !

The removal of the pews (heavily wood wormed) has given us much more space at the back of the church in order to be able to offer food and drinks without the crowding in the gangway between pews which caused difficulties at times.

Without our main local benefactor ( who wishes to remain anonymous), a Capital grant from the Diocese and also from Leicestershire Historic Churches Trust this project would not have been possible.

It is great to have the church back to ourselves now and to have it open once more. However there were times when we wondered why we were going through all of this and even at the end just how long the snagging would take to do…………in fact there are still 1 or 2 outstanding items.

Do please come over and have a look at the finished product : the Churchwardens would be delighted to show you around.