Wonder wall

Mosaics on the west side of the church cost 25,000 to clean and the work took most of the summer to complete. They were last cleaned in 1930.

However, the church still needs to restore the artworks on the south and north walls. The total cost of the clean-up is estimated at about 75,000 to 80,000.

John Hubbard, church warden, said: "These are fairly unusual mosaics. There are other churches which have these sorts of wall mosaics but they are mainly on the continent.

"The mosaics, particularly on the west side, were really starting to crumble and the rest are all discoloured. We think this damage is mainly due to moisture from the south west corner of the church.

"Next week, work will start on the walls of the south side to repair windows, brickwork and some of the tower to stop the elements getting into the church. This work has to be completed before any more restoration of the internal mosaics can be done."

St Andrew's Church, whose rector is Father Edward Jervis, is still trying to raise the funds to pay for the cleaning work.

So far, the money has been collected from donations and fund-raising events.

Mr Hubbard said: "We are exploring the possibility of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help us out. We have already applied to them once but we are going to have another go.

"It's difficult to say how long the repair work on the south side is going to take, but we don't think the rest of the mosaics will be cleaned until next year."

The church is holding its annual Gift Day on Saturday, October 2, when the church, including the tower, will be open for viewing, with displays from local groups.

The day starts with a service at 9.30am at the church.

If you would like more information about fund-raising events, or would like to make a donation, call Mr Hubbard on 01903 260110.