A CATHOLIC church which has been used since the end of the Second World War is to be renovated.
Work has begun on the first phase of restoration at Our Lady of Peace in Newbridge.
The first phase, expected to take nine months, will include repairs to the road-facing south and west elevations and installation of an access ramp to the main entrance.
The white Italianate church is a Grade II listed building which was designed by architect PD Hepworth. It stood proud for decades in the town but has become less visible and weatherworn over recent years.
The church was completed just months before the outbreak of the Second World War and was stood unconsecrated until the end of the war in 1945.
Father Kevin Paine said of the church: “During the war and on the orders of the War Office, Our Lady of Peace was painted all over in camouflage so as not to give navigational help to enemy bombers.
“Our church was repainted and consecrated as soon as the war ended but that was quite a long time ago now and recent surveys have shown the urgent need for major repairs and for our facilities to be brought up to date.
“We think it important that our church should be not only a beacon of the Catholic faith but an asset for the whole community in this part of the South Wales Valleys and something for Newbridge to be proud of. The church has excellent acoustics and we expect it to be used for musical and other cultural events.”
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Restoration Group chairman Mandy Lovell said: “£170,000 was made available for this phase of the work. Our own restoration group got to work and secured the support of the Catholic Archdiocese, our own parishioners and the community. We’re also grateful for the generosity of the AllChurches Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, National Churches Trust, National Lottery Community Fund, Welsh Church Act Fund and the Wolfson Foundation”.
AllChurches grants officer Chloe Evans said: “We’re delighted that our funding supports the restoration of Our Lady of Peace. The church’s rich history means a lot to the community. The repair work will bring it back to life as a landmark and a space to unite local people.”
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