LEDBURY people are being urged to support a £48,000 appeal to save one of the most prominent landmarks in the town.

Architects have identified faults in the 250-year-old spire of St Michael and All Angels Church, in the centre of Ledbury, and it is hoped that work will start next month to prevent serious structural damage.

The Parochial Church Council is urging people to contribute and help pay for the work.

Alan Pratt, the council’s secretary, said: “The spire at St Michael and All Angels Church, Ledbury’s parish church, is a well-known and loved landmark for everyone who lives in Ledbury.

“It is also a part of a major tourist attraction in the town.

“Its continued existence is a necessity for the life of the town and to attract worshippers to the church.”

Some of the stonework on the spire needs to be repaired to protect the public from the hazards of falling masonry and to keep the spire wind and weatherproof.

The spire is held firm inside by a counterweight hanging from the top, and there is a risk that because of corrosion, the rod holding the weight may break, allowing it to fall and damage the inside of the spire and tower, as well as the bells.

The weight needs to be replaced by a rod joined to cross-trees at the base of the spire, which will be under tension and so hold the spire firm.

Mr Pratt said: “The church has had the spire inspected recently and agreed a quotation for the repairs.

“Our architects, Caroe and Partners, will be supervising the repairs.

“Permission from the church authorities is being sought.

“When this is granted the work will start, hopefully in late September, and finish by mid-November.

“It will cost some £48,000 to complete the repairs.

“We have already spent £8,500 inspecting the spire and erecting fencing to keep the public safe.”

l Anyone wishing to contribute can send donations to the team office at the Rectory, Worcester Road, Ledbury HR8 1PL.

Cheques should be made payable to PCC of Ledbury (Spire Appeal).

Please include your name and address if you wish Gift Aid to be claimed on your donation.

Donations can also be made by handing them in at Ledbury News in the town’s High Street.

FACTFILE

- The church is part of the historic fabric of Ledbury, with Christian worship on the site thought to date back to the 8th century.

- The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded a large minster church in Ledbury, which provided a centre of mission to the surrounding rural area, though little or nothing of this church remains today. A new church was built in the 12th century, and the tower — though not the spire that tops it — is from the 13th century.

- The tower is separated from the main body of the church — like six others in Herefordshire — and may have served as a stronghold if danger threatened from Welsh invaders.

- By the 15th century, the church had largely taken the form we see today, and though it became neglected in the 18th century, since then it has been subject to major programmes of restoration and improvement.