A HISTORIC Winchester church is at risk of falling into disrepair, according to a national register of threatened buildings.

Holy Trinity Church has been labelled ‘at risk’ in English Heritage’s list of struggling historical sites.

The church, in Upper Brook Street, requires urgent repairs as old handiwork deteriorates.

Its 160-year-old slate roof is leaking because nails are rotting, while parts of the church’s stone war memorial are crumbling.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Reverend Father Malcolm Jones (pictured below) said the ‘at risk’ label did not mean closure was imminent but the church is at the mercy of extreme weather, such as floods which submerged its grounds in February.

He said: “The people around the church have done a lot of work on it – it’s just all happened at once.

“We had to sandbag the whole of the church and neighbours helped. But until flooding from the whole of this part of Winchester is solved, we just hope that it doesn’t [flood].

He said the church’s funds were steady but he had “no clue” how much the repairs would cost.

Hampshire Chronicle:

“It means scaffolding the whole building,” he said. “That’s very, very costly. We haven’t the money to do a huge job like that just at the snap of fingers.”

Holy Trinity is one of two listed buildings at risk in the Winchester district this year.

Droxford’s Church of St Mary and All Saints has also been added to the register, which cites defects in the Norman building’s tower, roof and stonework.

Thirteen historic Hampshire buildings have been added this year.