St John’s Church, Dudley

Closed through results of spurious quinquennial inspection, the St Johns Church Preservation Group aspire and strive to bring this prominent building back into meaningful use. We have been appointed as Architectural advisors to the group and have thus far advised upon and orchestrated masonry repairs up to the point where a Contractor can be appointed.

The Church is constructed from randomly coursed limestone ‘rubble’ with sandstone dressings, never an ideal mix and consequently there is much erosion to the sandstone elements requiring significant replacement and repair. Historically the limestone has been badly repointed with a cementitious material. The roof has been replaced at some point, re-clad with what from ground level inspection appear to be concrete interlocking pan tiles. There is much maintenance required to the drainage and leadwork. Despite being condemned as structurally unsound by the spurious inspection, the Church remained unaffected by the 2006 earthquake which had its epicentre nearby; sadly much damage was sustained in the graveyard, the final resting place of many local notables including the infamous ‘Tipton Slasher’ bare knuckle boxer

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