King's Lynn Minster restoration project is delayed

Work to complete the final stage of major £1 million pound restoration and development scheme at Lynn’s historic Minster church has been delayed.

Officials have confirmed that the project will now continue for a further six weeks and is now not due to be completed until the end of next month.

The £515,000 part of the work to provide a new office, disabled lift access toilets and a meeting room over three floors in the North porch, which started in November last year, was due for completion last Friday.

But delays have been caused by a “complex number of reasons”, according to Minster vicar, Canon Chris Ivory.

However, there is some good news as the Minster’s bells, which have been silenced while the North porch re-development has been in progress, will be rung again for a wedding this Saturday.

And Canon Ivory has revealed to the Lynn News that the Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Rev Jonathan Meyrick, will bless the new facilities during a special service on Sunday, 22 September.

He said: “The delays in completion of work on the North porch have resulted from a whole complex number of reasons which are understandable.

“It is a case of swings and roundabouts but we have been assured by the main contractors, Andy Knott Construction, of Ely, that the finished scheme will be handed over in six weeks time.”

He said that the delay would mean that the new toilets would not be ready in time for this summer’s 69th King’s Lynn Festival starting on July 14. Portable facilities will be provided for those events instead.

He explained that the whole restoration and development scheme has cost a total of £905,800 and there is now under £10,000 left to be raised towards the cost of the project.

The cash has come from a variety of sources including grants, fund-raising by the Minster and donations from a host of Lynn businesses.

Canon Ivory also revealed that the new toilet facilities in the North porch will be the first ever time that such essential facilities will have been provided in the town centre church which originally dates back to the early 12th century.

The head of Knott Construction, Andy Knott, said working on Grade1 Listed buildings like the Minster meant that everything had got to be totally right and that sometimes work takes longer than originally expected.

He said that discovery of the original 12th century north tower pillars base was something unknown when the plans were drawn-up by the architects, Caroe Architects and so plans had to be revised to emcompass this discovery.

Mr Knott said: “Of course clients want everything completed yesterday but, particularly with such an important historic building like the Minster ,we have to make sure the work is done properly.”