Possibly the oldest oak staircase in the country, the stairs to the Belfry at the Church of St Michaels and All Angels at Bishops Cleeve required repair and conservation. The stairs are in regular use and had some growing health and safety concerns, as well as evidence of death watch beetle damage. The late 15th to early 16th stairs combine both solid treads with high class panelling forming a handrail, a rare combination for this period. Further linenfold panelling is situated on the underside of the stairs.
The stairs were carefully dismantled, restored and reassembled, ensuring structural integrity while making as little impact as possible to its original fabric. Replacement timbers were inserted where original material had been lost over time and sensitively treated so as to be a visible repair but not detract from the overall appreciation of the structure.
The project was awarded the John Betjeman award in 2016.
