Rev. Dale Gingrich, Martin Walsh & Paul Stone (Darnells), Jon Carlton (Building Our Future) and Joe Dennison (Ingleton Wood) hold their regular site meetings in the fresh air.Work has begun on an ambitious project to bring much needed upgrades to ‘one of the grandest churches in the country’ (Pevsner: The Buildings of England).

At the heart of Bloxham village for over 1,000 years, each generation has adapted St. Mary’s Church to suit the needs of the community it serves. The current ‘Building Our Future’ project is a comprehensive, £1m+, 3-phase plan to make this historically significant parish church more practical for the congregation and more useable for the whole community. Phase 1 is now underway with major renovations to the complex and outdated heating system.

With two new condenser boilers replacing the obsolete boiler, the first element of the project also involves new pipe work in the plant room, a new flue and additional radiators throughout the extensive church building. Ingleton Wood, an Oxfordshire-based property and construction consultancy, has designed the modern efficient heating system for the Grade I listed church.

Joe Dennison, a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Ingleton Wood who lives in nearby Milcombe, said: “We are very pleased to be designing and co-managing the major renovation project at St Mary’s Church which plays a crucial role in supporting the local community. The church will benefit from warmer winters and improved efficiency thanks to the investment in the modern heating system. It will include a smart control system, providing greater control and flexibility over specific areas and replacing the current ‘all on or off’ set-up. We are also installing traditional cast iron radiators within identified colder areas, while all existing pipework and trench heaters will be thoroughly inspected and flushed. We’re very conscious of retaining the special character and feel of the church and ensuring it’s still a comfortable place to visit and worship. We want the new heating to be felt – not seen – and will use our extensive experience in historic building renovation to provide the modern, efficient and eco-friendly heating system that St Mary’s deserves, both now and for generations to come.”

The design is being installed by Darnells Ltd, of Eynsham. With limited space in the Victorian plant room and pressure on building materials nationally, installation has not been without its challenges. Paul Stone, Project Manager for Darnells commented, “We installed the current heating system nearly 20 years ago and are delighted to be working with the team at St. Mary’s once again. Working on such an historic building brings challenges, of course, such as access to the basement level boiler room and running new services discreetly through the interior. It is also very rewarding, and we are confident that the new heating system will serve the church and the community for many years going forward”

The new heating system marks a significant milestone for the Building Our Future project. “After many years of navigating a complex consultation and planning process and the challenges of the pandemic – it has been so rewarding to finally see work underway” commented Jon Carlton, Joint Project Lead for BOF. “We are incredibly grateful to those individuals, trusts and former parishioners who have financially supported the first stage of Phase 1 and look forward to cracking on with fundraising for the next stage – bringing much needed WC’s and kitchen facilities to St. Mary’s, Bloxham”.

A service of Thanksgiving, led by Rev. Dale Gingrich, is planned for late October to celebrate the completion of the new heating system.