Reference
P12/25/1/21
Title
Copy letter from R.Burman, Vicar of Flitton to Messrs. Woodfine & Co, solicitors of 23 Huntingdon Street, St.Neots concerning the repair of Flitton Church Tower…
'I will give the information which is required about this repair':
- Estimate for repair: £1900
- Tower was built c.1465 (Prof. Pevsney) of green sandstone from Clophill with wrought stone in clunch from near Toddington they told me… 'This is poor stone anyway'.
- There has been much delay i.e. the work has proved more extensive and the Architect, Mr. Chippenfield, has not yet reached agreement even yet on the costing of the work beyond the work specified as the original contract.
- The contractor claims £4023 and has been paid £2250. £1500 has to be found.
- We hold £650 because of the contractor's failure to agree with the architect.
- When the costing agreement is reached, we are then short of at least £1100 and there is no source for this money.
- 'Our local effort also includes a further £300 work done by skilled voluntary workers, on weather vane, belfry loovers, tower door, font etc. This of course is work done, but does not appear as a sum of money to be raised. It should of course be counted in the total value of the restoration of the tower. It is said by the architect and others, now to be the best restored tower in Bedfordshire. But as I have seen not more than a score of these towers I am no competent judge, though some work I have seen on local churches causes me pain and grief and makes me think to be the best restored tower may be an easy attainment'.
- 'I trust this information meets the case and hope you can arrange for the whole sum and certainly not less than half to come to us for the purpose of paying for this work on the tower'.
Date free text
7 Sep 1966
Production date
From: 1966 To: 1966
Level of description
item