St Clement Danes Spring Newsletter

Dear Friends of St Clement Danes,

We are delighted to share the latest news from the essential works at St Clement Danes Church - Steeple Dismantling and RebuildingProgramme. A significant and exciting heritage project to carefully restore the beautiful steeple.

A Remarkable Transformation in Progress

Since work began in July 2024, the team has achieved a great deal. The complete dismantling of the steeple, a meticulous process in which every stone was numbered, recorded, and transported for expert assessment...is now finished. This has allowed expert masons, the architect and the engineer to inspect each piece individually and determine exactly what repair or replacement is needed. Work is now well underway in rebuilding the steeple with the repaired and new stone.

What Has Been Completed

• Full dismantling of the steeple structure
• Cleaning of masonry beds and removal of old ironwork throughout the upper and middle tiers
• Complete dismantling of the lower lantern (courses 37 - 42)
• Upper lantern stone repairs completed in the yard (now awaiting final review)
• Lower tier site refixing began in September 2025 and has progressed steadily
• Courses 42 down through 30 have been or are being reinstalled onsite, with the brick core rebuilt behind them
• Course 32, the final course of the lower tier was completed some months ago
• The team has completed work up through course 29 and its associated internal stones
• Drawings and repair sheets for nearly all stone courses have been prepared and issued
• All health and safety inspections, scaffold checks, and environmental measures remain fully up to date
• Rebuilding of Mid-Teir course 22
• Installation of coverings to weathering surfaces to the lower and Mid-Tier levels

What Lies Ahead

Over the coming months, you can expect to see:

• Continued refixing of stones upward through the middle tier
• Delivery and installation of courses 20, 19, and beyond
• Restoration of the weathervane by specialist conservators Halls
  Conservation
• Installation of the Upper Tier courses, including the urns and decorative carving
• Preparation works on the Sundial

Looking Towards Completion

The projected completion date for the main stonework will now be in October 2026. This is later than first hoped, but a reflection of undertaking such specialist restoration works and the thorough, responsible approach being taken by the project team as a whole to ensure every stone is properly repaired or replaced. We are extremely grateful to all stakeholders and craftspeople working on this programme, often working high above, often unseen, to return our steeple to its rightful glory. We would like the take this opportunity to thank our partners, the congregation and neighbours of St Clement Danes for your patience while this essential work is carried out. We look forward to bringing you more photos and updates as we lead into summer. Wishing you sunny days ahead.

With warm regards, The St Clement Danes Steeple Project Team