By Brian Cutler
The refurbishment of the external stonework of Holy Trinity Church in Cuckfield is being undertaken by DBR London under the direction of our inspecting Architect, Jonathan Cerowski. The extensive damage to the masonry is primarily the result of weathering, exacerbated by the use of hard cement pointing in the middle of the last century. The majority of the work has involved cleaning the stone, removing loose debris (defrassing, re pointing and repairing or replacing stone as necessary). Work is also underway to prepare new coping stones to replace the most severely damaged stones on the battlements at the top of the tower.
Work on the project started in mid July 2021 and is expected to last until the end of the year. Extensive scaffolding has been erected at both the east and west ends of the building to enable access. In some areas, the stone is not as damaged as had been feared while in others it is worse, and a more extensive repair will be necessary. Inevitably there have been some surprises. A rotting roof rafter hidden by facing stone at the east end and the building of a Victorian buttress to the tower built against a pattress plate that has now corroded and damaged the stone of the buttress.