F Geo Robinson Ltd
Project Profile
St. Marys Church, Cotesbach
Design Approach
Location
St. Marys Church sits in the quiet village of Cotesbach in rural Leicestershire.
Scope of works
FGR was contracted to construct a modern extension to the historic building to form a new kitchen and toilet area to give new life to the use of the building.
We found a plague pit
Working on a building that is several hundred years old comes with it’s own additional slew of challenges; starting with a suspected plague pit on the corner of the church where the new extension was to be sited.
Working alongside a team of archaeologists we uncovered a young female, buried face down under the corner of the original 400 year old extension, theorised to have been buried as a witch.
Lead lined coffins with exquisite hand wrought details were discovered in the centre of the 400 year old extension under a failing vaulted arch; a tunnel was discovered leading to a monument outside the building. This presented a huge challenge to the team as sealed lead coffins can contain pathogens and diseases such as smallpox that haven’t been seen in this country for decades
Trusted with moving a historic stone font
Finally, A hand made plaster cast irreplaceable font had to be moved to a more central location within the church. Weighing in at nearly a quarter tonne the font and base were carefully moved without damage into its new location, looking along the central isle of the church.
The works
The existing building is constructed of hand-wrought sand and limestones with corbelled foundations and a zinc sheet roof.
The new extension was constructed in rendered blockwork, with hand-struck block lines to blend beautifully and homogenously with the existing building.
Existing stone walling was used to build a pair of buttressing piers that add character and form with our skilled labour force hand cutting and mitring the stone into place. Specialist lime mortar was used to piece this fantastic addition together piece by piece
Internals
Internally the client chose a complimenting kitchen and flooring design that blended seamlessly with our hardwood windows that compliment the existing joinery in the church.
Feedback from the parishioners adore their new extension. The space is being used for the community as a whole, giving this several hundred year old structure a new life and purpose
FGR Pride
We are incredibly proud of the workmanship and pride that went into this stunning project;
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