Heritage Lottery cash for St Paul’s Bow Common to fix leaky roof

A survey is being carried out for urgent repairs to the leaky roof of an award-winning church in London’s East End that lets in rain nowadays as well as worshippers.

The Church Council at St Paul’s in Bow Common, near Limehouse, has landed a £32,800 Heritage Lottery windfall for a structural survey, ready to apply for more cash next year to repair the iconic lantern roof to make it watertight again.

It is used by groups across all faiths, the first church in Britain to be designed around a central altar.

“This is a big step towards preserving St Paul’s for the future,” the Church Council’s Ruth McCurry said.

“The shape of the church with people around a central altar means everybody is equally involved in worship.”

Many consider it the most architecturally-important post-war church in Britain, having won the National Churches Trust Diamond Jubilee award last year for “the best church built since 1953”.

But the building in Burdett Road, opened in 1960 with its 800sq ft Murano glass mosaic mural by Charles Lutyens that stretches round the interior, now badly needs patching up to stop the rain coming in on those at prayer.