A CHURCH community is hoping to raise upwards of £30,000 for repairs to an iconic medieval structure.

Parishioners of St Michael’s Church in Mitchel Troy are raising funds for improvements to make the church a more community-friendly space, as well as repairs to its iconic medieval lychgate.

The parish community has come together with donations and plans for fundraising events are already well under way, with their next fundraiser being Martin Singers in concert on Saturday 20th July at 7pm.

The medieval lychgate, which leads visitors into the church grounds, has recently fallen into a fragile state. It was learnt last December that the walls and roof are spreading badly and in danger of collapse.

Temporary measures have had to be taken to ensure the safety of pedestrians, however the impact of this has already been felt by many residents close to the church.

The lychgate has not been neglected but a professional survey found that the lychgate roof is spreading badly, stonework kneeler stones have moved and some roof stones have fallen. Repairs to the entrance will be more expensive as it’s on such a busy road.

Richard Hardwicke of Graham Frecknall Architecture and Design in Agincourt Square, strongly recommended the lychgate is not used and fenced off for reasons of safety and the protection of the public.

The plans for the Grade II* church, which could reach as high as £175,000, not only hope to repair the lychgate, which could cost upwards of £32,000 itself, but also aim to reorder the church building so that it can be more useful to members of the community. The project hopes to reorder the interior of the church with internal toilets, improved kitchen facilities and flexible seating.

The church hopes to retain some of the original pews, however in efforts to improve accessibility for all parishioners there are plans to install more flexible seating. With improved facilities brought in as part of the improvments, the church aims to better serve the community and visitors to Mitchel Troy. Permission from the Dioceses of Monmouth and Monmouthshire County Council has been granted for repairs to the lychgate.

Further events are planned, including a treasure hunt and picnic in the autumn and a male voice choir concert in January of next year. In an effort to acquire the necessary funding the church has been busy applying for grants including the Lottery Heritage Fund, the Welsh Church fund and the local Church in Wales emergency fund.