This year marks the 360th Anniversary of the plague in 1665 for which Eyam is famous. Although it killed a third of the inhabitants of the village their decision to cut themselves off from everywhere else saved hundreds of lives.
The money being raised will go towards the Restoration 2030 project, a 5 year project to restore and repair the church, install a kitchen and toilet, improve access and open the church to the wider community for events, concerts and use by community groups.
The first phase is to repair the floor of the Belfry and repoint the Tower and the Spire. Sadly, the church bells which have rung over Mexborough for 500 years are no longer able to, due to the fragility of the ancient timbers which support the bell frame.
St John’s is a Grade 1 Listed 12th century church not only the oldest building in Mexborough but the only Grade 1 Listed building in the town.
Father Edward says: Despite the history of Mexborough stretching back as far as the Roman period, there is precious little in the town which testifies to its ancient origins. The church is the only exception to this, making it a treasure trove for the history of our community and its people. We want to preserve this precious building for generations to come and for the whole community to learn more about our town’s history”
A recent online survey of over 300 residents found that
- 93% believed the church was Very Important
- 97% felt it was Very Important that children learnt about the history and heritage of the town
- 82% described the closure of the church as detrimental to the town.
Father Edward, Louis and Jacob are looking for as much support as possible from the local community to help preserve Mexborough’s Heritage. All donations no matter how small are greatly appreciated.
If you’d like to support them visit their GoFundMe page https://gofund.me/2b7b3dc2