For nearly 900 years Holy Trinity church has stood at the heart of our community. Christian worship has been offered at this site since about 700AD, when St Aldhelm founded a church in Bradford on Avon. Over successive generations Holy Trinity has seen many changes and alterations, but 2016 saw a major new reordering of the Church. Holy Trinity’s Big Community Connection reordering project started with the discovery of a painting by an old master hanging in the church on the North wall. Further investigations revealed a picture entitled “Christ Blessing” by Quentin Metsys. We were given permission to sell the painting, and so embrace the challenge of bringing Holy Trinity up-to-date.

The aims of the 2016 reordering project were:

• To restore & develop our historic church building sensitively and flexibly so that it might respond effectively to the needs of the next century
• To enhance it as a spiritual place of worship built to the glory of God, as a holy space
• To throw the doors wide open to our community, of all ages, through the provision of a space which is warm, welcoming and full of wonder.

The works cost around £2m of which the Church contributed the majority from the sale of the painting, and the rest came from parish reserves, grants and donations. The reordering work included:

• Flood prevention works
• Installation of under-floor heating and a new Bath stone floor
• Improvements to the layout, plus new seating and furniture
• Additional toilets in an extension
• A meeting room in the tower
• Installation of a kitchen ‘pod’ and reception desk
• Refurbishing the organ
• Repairing monuments
• Cleaning the walls and dealing with the damp
• Extensive archaeological investigations by Wessex Archaeology

TIMELINE

March 2012
Holy Trinity Has a Vision buildings report adopted by the PCC.

September 2013   
Local chartered architects and building consultants Chedburn Dudley, appointed. International engineering firm BuroHappold appointed as project manager. Detailed consultations with members of congregation, local bodies, DAC, Conservation and planning authorities began in earnest.

June 2015
Sustainable Business Case published.

May – August 2015 
Final applications submitted for Planning Permission and Faculty.

November 2015
Full Tender Specification issued for Works.

December 2015
Church closed and the congregation were warmly welcomed by the congregation of Christ Church.

25 January 2016
Organ dismantled and transported to Durham and Faculty granted.

1 February 2016 
Ellis & Co move on site and the building work begins.

November 2016  
Contract completion date.

December 2016  
Re-furnish and prepare the church and pop the champagne for re-opening!
The Bishop of Salisbury visits for a Sung Eucharist of Celebration and Thanksgiving to re-open our Parish Church and to re-dedicate our new life and worship together.