Village's church tower makeover divides opinion

A stark white makeover of a village's 15th Century church tower in an effort to protect it from the elements has sparked divided opinions among local residents.

The tower of the Grade I listed St Oswald's church in Askrigg, North Yorkshire, was recently given the bright new render to help preserve the damp-riddled structure.

The Reverend Dave Clark, vicar at St Oswald's, said the tower now looked like it did back in the 18th Century, with the render made using traditional techniques and even containing materials such as goat hair.

While some residents living in the shadow of the tower have described its new appearance as "odd", Mr Clark said he believed it was a change "for the better".

Leaving the historic church tower in the state it had been before the new render was applied had been "no longer an option", according to the vicar.

"Things were rotting away. Our ringers were having trouble ringing the bells and there's black and green algae on the walls," he explained.

"We knew we had to do something before it became dangerous and the bells became compromised."

A number of options had been considered and a range of experts consulted about the best way to preserve and restore the tower, Mr Clark said.

"This incredible team of experts have been on site rendering it again, using the techniques that our forefathers did.

"The render itself is mixed in with goats hair and all kinds of stuff. They've been so careful to recreate the same sort of composition for it."

Askrigg resident Pru Travers told the BBC she thought the tower's new colour was "perfect".

"It's exactly put back to what it was before the Victorians took it all off," she said.

There was already "less damp in the church, so it's working", Ms Travers added.

"And if I go for a walk, I'm not going to get lost," she quipped.

However, Fiona Cornish, another village resident, was not so sure.

"I think it looks a bit odd, if I'm perfectly honest - not quite in keeping," she said.

"It's certainly very bright."

Mr Clark said the whitest parts of the tower at St Oswald's would begin to fade over time, and should end up as a "honey" colour.

Of the mixed views in the village about the tower's transformation, he said: "When you get used to something looking the same for the last 150 years, any change will have opinions associated with it."

Meanwhile, Mr Clark said he hoped the tower's new look would attract fresh interest in Askrigg and maybe bring in more visitors to the church.

"It's saying, 'I am here, this is a place of worship'," he explained.

"You don't put a light up, then shove it under a bucket."

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