£795,000 church revamp begins in Colchester
The project will feature a new Covid-19 pandemic memorial
A “hidden gem” Essex graveyard, in the heart of Colchester, is due to be transformed with a £795,000 revamp. The grounds surrounding Colchester’s Holy Trinity Church, dubbed a “beautiful” historic green space, are being reopened to the public.
The project, which is now underway, will see new paths and benches, a Covid-19 pandemic memorial, as well as restored monuments and gravestones.
The newly refurbished graveyard will also include repaired railings, gates and steps, new lighting and new power supplies for the market traders around the square. It comes as plans are being drawn up again for a major, multimillion-pound revamp of the church, with Colchester City Council hoping to reopen it to the public after St Helena Hospice, which was due to have a base in the church, pulled out of a previous plan last year.
The graveyard project will be completed in the autumn and will “revive” the former churchyard, allowing the public to once again enjoy a green space that has been closed for decades.
HAT Projects is the architecture firm behind the new designs for the new square. Hana Loftus, co-director, said: “As a business based just a few metres away from the site, we know how special Trinity Street is and how much our neighbours are looking forward to having a lovely green space to enjoy during the day.”
The project will improve the setting of Holy Trinity Church, which is Colchester’s oldest standing building and Grade 1 listed for its unique Saxon Tower. The church itself is set for a £3.8m transformation pending funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.