St Matthew’s Church in Netley Marsh suffers blow to restoration project as more damage is discovered

A POPULAR New Forest church which spent years raising £70,000 for major restoration will need to raise at least a further £50,000 after more damage was found.

St Matthew’s in Netley Marsh closed its doors in October last year to begin repairs to the main floor, which had damp issues due to high water levels in the crypt.

Work to the chancel floor, which also showed signs of deterioration, were planned to be carried out in a few years once more money had been raised.

Dave Martin, who is part of the congregation, told the A&T: “On excavating the church floor we found that the nave and chancel floor had started to subside and suffered from tree root ingress.

“The decision to halt the renovation of the main floor was therefore forced on us, and our efforts must now be concentrated on renovating the chancel floor.”

It had taken fundraisers five years to raise £70,000 needed for the main floor, which has included fairs, bake sales, donations from local companies and events such as the village carnival and annual Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show.

As reported in the A&T, the Rev John Reeve has run 10 marathons in recent years to fundraise for the work, including events in Paris and Valencia. His latest will take place in Nice, France, later this year.

The main floor now has a new concrete base, and a local company is donating the underfloor heating, but money still needs to be found for rendering and decorating, as well as installing new electrical power points.

Dave added: “Work on the chancel is now our priority and we are in the process of obtaining quotations for the specialist work needed, such as lifting the ornate tiles for re-use and possible moving during construction of the church organ. On top of all this we need to redecorate the church and refurbish the pews.”

He said at least a further £50,000 was expected to be needed for the work to the chancel floor – and no funding is forthcoming from church authorities. It is hoped the church will reopen in time for Christmas – but Dave said the time needed for the work was currently unknown.

St Matthew’s has been a large part of the community since it was built in 1855 and has hosted many weddings, christenings and funerals over this time.

Since the restoration work began, services have been held in the church hall, while weddings have been moved to St Mary’s at nearby Copythorne, where the Rev Jon Reeve is also vicar.

An American supper fundraising evening featuring local 10-piece band The Soul Catchers will take place in the church hall on 18th May.

Tickets cost £10 and can be bought by emailing suestmatthews@gmail.com

To donate to the fundraising project visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/david-martin-459