Grant of £400k given to save 13th Century Shenstone Tower

A grant of nearly £400,000 has been awarded to restore a tower dating back to the 13th Century.

Shenstone Tower near Lichfield, Staffordshire, was all that remained of a medieval church demolished in 1853, Historic England said.

The building, measuring 5m x 5m inside, will become a community venue following a fundraising campaign by a group formed to rescue it.

Historic England said it had awarded a £395,807 Heritage at Risk grant.

The Grade II* listed structure had replaced an earlier church known to have existed in 1129 and is reported to be built over Saxon foundations, with evidence of Saxon masonry found during archaeological excavations in 1970.

The derelict tower "has 13th Century origins", but the medieval church was demolished in 1853 when the adjacent church of St John the Baptist was built.

The inside of the tower, which belongs to the Lichfield diocese, was "the size of a small studio flat", Historic England stated, and plans include creating a viewing platform at the top.

In 2019, The Friends of Shenstone Tower formed, with local residents starting a fundraising campaign. So far £116,000 has been raised through events and appeals.

The group has now taken on the lease and following completion of the restoration the space will be "available to the village and wider public for cultural and recreational activities", Historic England said.

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