Lyttelton church attacked by damp

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32422, 8 October 1970, Page 18

Lyttelton church attacked by damp

The problem of maintenance of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church at Lyttelton was a serious one as the interior of the church was slowly crumbling away because of the damp, the vicar (the Rev. J. A. Witbrock) said yesterday.

He was replying to a letter to the editor of "The Press” from Mr E. A. White who said he was concerned at the disorder round the church.

The correspondent says:— “During the last 20 years I have been privileged to attend several services at Holy Trinity Church, Lyttelton. Recently I was appalled to notice the disorder round this historic building. “The church has a wonderful atmosphere, but the grounds that used to be a

delight made me feel very sad, and I wondered why the weeds were so prolific. The industrious first settlers would be so ashamed of this obvious neglect.” Mr Witbrock replies: “I am grateful to your correspondent for drawing attention to the need for maintenance work around the Church, as the problem is far more serious than the writer probably knows, and the interior of the church is slowly crumb- i ling away for want of treatment of the entire surrounding ground to prevent entry of damp. "We are taking expert advice about this, and have been wondering how to enlist support from people throughout Christchurch for a task which will cost far more than this small parish can afford. “It is true that the lawns and gardens are beginning to need attention after the winter also—voluntary helpers have already begun to deal with this—-but if your correspondent’s letter serves to rally support for the small band of people who care about this beautiful building and want to preserve it, I shall be most grateful.”