St Oswald’s Askrigg have recently won the King of Prussia Gold Medal at the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association (EASA) annual meeting held in London last week.
The medal is awarded for innovative, high quality church conservation or repair.
The Tower Project was one of six finalists celebrated at the ceremony and was up against other church projects across England.
The judging panel commended Askrigg on a strong solution to a long-standing problem and for its use of traditional lime render.
The team were represented at the Awards by architect Andrew Boyce, from Donald Insall Associates; Will Hague, Mason and Foreman from Matthias Garn & Partners; and from the church, the Revd Dave Clark, Stephanie Durrant and MaryRose Kearney.
They received their award from Prince Nicholas von Preussen, the Patron of the EASA.
The project was undertaken to resolve the long-standing issue of damp in the church and the tower, causing mould and decay.
Informed by research and consultation with Historic England, the proposed solution was to use the traditional construction technique of lime coating to combat the moisture penetration.
This method was further supported by extensive research that revealed that an original lime coat had been removed by the Victorians in 1853.
The project received support from the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Diocese of Leeds and the Askrigg Parish Council.
This has drawn many visitors to the church and village over the summer and autumn.
The tower was rededicated during a special celebration, attended by the Rt Revd Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon, and over 200 villagers and invited guests.
Local MP Rishi Sunak also visited and tried his hand at bellringing in the newly refurbished tower bell chamber.
This project, which received grant funding from the National Churches Trust, the Wolfson Fabric Repair Fund, the Headley Trust, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Sustainable Development Fund, the Elm House Trust and the Benefact Trust, and countless individuals, has saved the church tower from irreversible decay and ensures the building can continue to serve its community for generations to come.