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Beetle infestation puts church on at-risk register

Michelle AdamsonNorth West
News imageHistoric England Interior of church with massive white drape covering a walled section and metal scaffolds around the sides. Pews and vaulted wooden arches in front of stained glass windows. Historic England
Investigations are exploring the scale of the damage in the church

An infestation of deathwatch beetles has led to an Elizabethan church being put on Historic England's at-risk register.

St Wilfrid's Church, in Wigan, Greater Manchester, is among 138 sites added to the list this year after the insects damaged its decorative timber ceilings.

Services are continuing at the Grade I-listed church in Standish despite the erection of scaffolding to investigate the scale of the problem, its rector Reverend Andrew Holliday said.

He told BBC Radio Manchester that beetle larvae "burrow into the wood and just chomp away at it, creating lots of dust in the process".

"What it does is effectively eat it away. In the chancel area, what we've discovered is actually some catastrophic damage that the beetle has done over a number of years.

"Some of the enormous timbers are actually hollow."

News imageHistoric England Cut marks through wooden section of ceiling showing where beetles have chomped through three circles decorated with floral motifs.Historic England
Beetle larvae have been "chomping" on the wooden ceiling, the vicar said
News imageHistoric England Aerial drone view of church with spire above scaffolding surrounding the main base of the building. Autumnal trees and a graveyard are outside the church with houses and countryside around.Historic England
St Wilfrid's Church dates from the 1580s and a church has been on site since the 13th Century

The addition of the church to the register will "bring people's attention to the buildings that need it most", Florence Salberter, from Historic England, said.

She compared it to a "health check", adding: "It really shows that we need to focus on these buildings, on churches, that have been there for communities for centuries."

Rev Holliday said current investigations exploring the scale of the problem will "give us a broad scope of what we're really dealing with".

He continued: "And then we'll begin the whole process of planning next steps and next stages - which is not only the work itself and what's involved - but also some major grant funding that we will be seeking to help us look after this incredible building."

News imageRev Holliday, who wears glasses and brown jumper over his clerical collar, smiles as he stands in front of scaffold with a large stained glass window behind.
Rev Holliday said the church was still conducting services as usual

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