Renovation appeal to save grange (From Stroud News and Journal)

Renovation appeal to save grange

Monks at the famous Prinknash Abbey have launched an appeal to try and save St Peter's Grange which stands in the grounds of the historic monastery. The fund raising kicks off next week with a marathon reading where the Bible will be read out loud non-stop for about four days. Will Saunders went along to take a look at the magnificent 500-year-old building which is closed to the public.

NESTLED on the Cotswold escarpment, overlooking the sweeping expanse of the Severn Vale, St. Peter's Grange, in the grounds of Prinknash Abbey, has stood for 500 years as a haven of peace and tranquility.

The country house is built on land that can trace its Benedictine roots back as far as the 12th century.

It has survived unscathed through the reformation and the civil war, where it played host to Royalist commander Prince Rupert during the siege of Gloucester.

Formerly the home of the Dyer-Edwards family, the house was donated to monks from Caldey Island in 1927 to use as a monastery.

In a new century, however, the Grange is under a new threat. Dwindling financial support has left the Grade I listed building in a poor state of repair. Rain water is leaking in from the roof and dilapidated drainpipes and guttering.

The ancient stonework of the 15th century house is cracked and discoloured in many areas and crumbling away completely in others. The central heating is also seriously out of date and urgently needs replacing.

Despite its status as a listed building, the Grange has struggled to obtain funds for repairs from English Heritage so the Trustees of the Abbey have recently set up a management board to appeal for the repair and upgrading of the 500-year-old house.

Mrs Mary Jones, who works as assistant warden of the Grange with her husband Robert, is co-ordinating the appeal and faces the daunting task of raising the two million pounds needed for the renovation project.

"We need to raise about half a million pounds for the first phase of the renovation," she said. "It needs to start as soon as possible because if we don't stop the damage soon it's going to be too late."

For the first fundraising event of the appeal, Mrs Jones has organised a marathon Bible-reading in the Grange's Chapel of St. Peter the Apostle, which was first dedicated in 1629. The aim of the event is to read the entire Bible out loud from cover to cover.

It will start at midnight on Tuesday March 4 with around 250 volunteers from all denominations taking it in turns to read for 15-minute sessions. The reading starts with the famous phrase 'In the beginning was the word...' from the book of Genesis and will not end until the final 'Amen' in Revelation.

The Abbott of Prinknash, Francis Baird, will begin the marathon scripture session himself and it is estimated that the complete 'Read-In' will take more than 4 days to complete.

"I've heard a similar event elsewhere raised about £40,000," Mrs Jones said. "If we get about the same amount then that will be a fantastic start."

"We're using the new revised standard bible and in test readings it takes about 15 minutes to read six pages. On that reckoning we think we ought to be able to read the bible in about four days.

"We are going to have around ninety-five stewards around as well to make things run smoothly so there will always be someone there even if it's in the early hours of the morning."

Similar fund-raising activities have attracted criticism in the past for 'commercializing' the holy scripture. But Mrs Jones' husband Robert, who has held the position of assistant warden at the Grange with his wife for the past four years, insists that the practical concerns leave them with no choice.

"It's about getting that balance right between not being too commercial and keeping the place running and that's a tricky balance to achieve," he said.

Father Alphege, the 75-year-old Benedictine monk who acts as warden of St. Peter's Grange, was also unfazed by the commercial element of the Bible marathon.

He said: "This is not a ruined abbey, it's a living, working place. If we don't look after the building, there won't be anywhere to pray.

The monks' main source of income at the Abbey today is from the production of incense. The famous Prinknash Pottery was sold off in the 1990s and closed last month.

The 'Bible Read-In' is only the first in a series of fund-raising events currently being planned to save the Grange.

But Mrs Jones is optimistic about the future. She knows she faces an extremely difficult task but like her colleagues at Prinknash she believes it is important to prevent yet another piece of our heritage from being lost to the modern world.

Anyone who would like to help in the appeal can join in the Bible Read-In or make a donation to the St. Peter's Grange Appeal. For more information ring Mary Jones on 01452 813592.