St. Nicholas Church News

The Rev. Douglas Loveridge has told his parishioners that he has accepted a post as Assistant Chaplain at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

Mr Loveridge and his wife, the Rev. Jo Loveridge, hope to move at the end of December when Mrs Loveridge takes up a position at Burghfield. His last service at St. Nicholas is expected to be Sunday 29 December. A full tribute to Mr Loveridge's 14 years in Hurst will be printed in February's newsletter.

The East Wall

I am sure that most people will be aware that there is a strange, orange fence around the east wall of the church writes Mary Langdown, Church Warden.

If you were passing by during the summer you may have also noticed some men waving odd objects over it, too. The men were from a Bristol firm which specialises in Radar Scanning. They were trying to ascertain where the problems are in the wall, which has developed some ominous internal cracks over recent years. This is what we know so far:

1. It would appear that the Victorians covered the thirteenth century wall with a flint one, infilling with rubble.
2. The flint napping carried out on the east wall is not good (the gaps between the flints being too large, allowing water to get in).
3. Rainwater has washed out some of the rubble resulting in the flint only hanging on as a form of wallpaper in places (hence the orange fencing).
4. Other areas of concern connected with this are: the internal wall between the two altars and the buttress outside.

Further investigation is required and major repair work is probably needed. We have approached English Heritage for practical and financial help. When we know their response we can start fund-raising, because our architect has suggested a six-figure sum is likely to be needed. I hope to write a more informed article in the next newsletter.