A church in Camberwell whose roof collapsed in January due to ‘dodgy craftsmanship from more than 150 years ago’ is asking the local community to help them pay a large repair bill.
Cottage Green Chapel, between Wells Way and Southampton Way, needs to raise £30,000 to restore the roof, which collapsed after a beam gave way in January.
Church leader Hayden Murr, who runs the chapel with his wife Allison, arrived one morning to discover that one of the wooden trusses holding up the tiled roof of the 180-year-old Baptist chapel had snapped, causing the entire ceiling to come crashing down.
Hayden said he “initially thought it was damp” which had led the beam to collapse, before discovering that craftsmanship from more than 150 years ago was to blame.
“Two of the trusses were added a few years after the rest of the church was built, and for some reason they’re narrower than the rest,” he explained.
“Then they put a bolt in at an angle that is not dead centre.”
While their insurance will cover the damage caused by the fallen beam, it won’t cover the damage to the roof itself.
Cottage Green Chapel, part of the Well Church in Camberwell, opened in 1844. As well as a church building, it is also home to a nursery and hosts community cafes, youth groups, art exhibitions and local meetings.
When the disaster struck, they were waiting to get permission from Southwark Council to begin restoring the chapel, with plans for a new permanent cafe and venue space for hire which have had to be put on hold while they sort out the roof.
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Donate to the fundraiser, which closes on 14 April, here.
