Vicar climbs to top of Worthing church spire to raise money for repair bill

Fr Steven Emerson, rector at St Andrew's, West Tarring, is a keen rock climber but he said the climb up the tall spire was very different to what he is used to.

Steeplejacks have been working on reshingling two sides of the octagonal spire in cedarwood, at a cost of £30,000, and Fr Steven took the opportunity to climb up to the top himself on Friday morning to help raise money.

He said: "Anyone who lives near the church will have seen bits of wooden tiles, known as shingle, around the churchyard and surrounding streets, as they have blown off in stormy weather. Hopefully that will all come to an end with the work we’re having done at the moment.

"We were not eligible for an insurance claim or any grants on this occasion, so we have had to raise all of the money from church funds.

"We decided not to patch repair them this time but to entirely reshingle them for a more thorough and, hopefully, long-lasting repair. All the sides that face the prevailing wind have been repaired in recent years now and we hope that might be it for a while.

"I've been up to the very top of the spire. I must say I was a bit less scared than I expected. I'm used to mountaineering and climbing rock faces but on the rock face, I sort of know what I'm doing, whereas on a ladder, it seemed to go on endlessly into the sky. I’ve never climbed a ladder that high before, I was expecting to find the top section intimidating but once I got going it was great fun and amazing to be up high above Worthing and enjoy the incredible views, all the away around the Downs, the sea, the whole of Worthing and beyond.

"Once I got to the top it was great being up there. I clipped myself in, I had a great time. I had a good look at the view, took a few selfies and came back down safely.

"It was all to raise awareness and money for our campaign to pay for the shingling. We will have to pay the steeplejacks soon and we are hoping to raise a bit of well-needed funds to support the project.

"St Andrew’s is a church that is much loved by the local community and we are working hard to keep it in good condition for years to come."

Visit pay.sumup.com/b2c/QSN1VDUY to make a donation.

The church dates back to the 13th century and in 1949 it became a Grade II* listed building. The tower, which was added in the 15th century, is estimated to be in excess of 150ft high.

Work on the spire also took place two years ago, in March 2022, after Storm Eunice ripped off masses of shingles, exposing the boarding beneath.

Using steeplejacks for such work is more cost effective and less intrusive, as it means it can be done without scaffolding.

There will be a tower open day on Saturday, October 12, from 10am to 2pm. Tour the tower, climb the ancient winding stone stairs, see the bells and learn how they are rung, climb to the top and see the amazing views across Worthing and beyond.

There will be beautiful harvest festival flowers on display and history tours running throughout the day. Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday, October 13.