2025 – Public Consultation, Bells Restoration, Rood Screen survey
The most recent public consultation regarding the renovation of St. Nicholas Church (to a packed house) was on the 7th Nov 2025 with presentations by Kit Martin CBE, our architect Iain Walker from Spire, Dr Rev Sally Myers and Tim Payne (project lead for the St Nicks Arts Centre and PCC member). The evening highlighted the need to preserve heritage buildings, ensure that they are as eco-friendly & self-sustaining as possible and continuously adapt to the needs of the local population. This second consultation was extremely well received with all the attendees in favour of the plans and several people standing to express their thanks that the committee were focused on delivering cultural, community activities for the surrounding villages.
The first major milestone on our renovation journey was removing the four medieval bells (earliest 1499) from the tower so that they could be restored and rehung. As the mountings to the bell frame were unsafe, the bells hadn’t been rung as a set in over 100 years, since then only one had been in use and that had to stop being used around 50 years ago.
On 30th July 2025 the firm of Matthew Higby in Somerset removed the bells, they have been restored with no major problems and returned to St-Nicholas return in June 2026. To celebrate, a coffee morning was held on the 10th June, where the bells were blessed and then ascend into the bell tower. On that day they were ringing as a set for the first time in over 100 years!
This video shows Boris & Neil manually ringing the bells before they were removed.
You could also see the blog on the bells written by Daniel Stevens here.
In the summer 2025 a survey was commissioned on our beautiful Rood Screen. The survey was conducted by the accredited conservation firm of KSH Conservation based in Kings Lynn. The cost of the survey was generously sponsored by the Church Buildings Council.
The report was completed in January 2026. It specifically noted that ‘The screen is an example of one of the few surviving medieval rood screens in the county, making it a rare and historically important feature within the church. Unlike many of the rood screens that were destroyed or removed during the Reformation and later Iconoclasm, the surviving panels (the traceried dado) of this screen survives intact and are well preserved.”
The Report is available (click here).
Fund raising is now underway to secure the funds required to restore/conserve the screen (approx £25k).
| St Andrew and St Peter | St Jude and St Simon |
| St James the Great and St John | St Thomas and St James |
St Nicks Arts Centre will serve as a model of how an historic rural church can evolve into a thriving arts and community hub without losing its sacred and heritage identity. This initiative ensures that St Nicholas remains at the heart of Swafield and the local area — not only as a spiritual space, but as a beacon for creativity, learning and community spirit for generations to come.
We would like to thank the following organisations who are generously helping fund our restoration journey:
Many thanks to our sponsors & partners who include:
