The church, built in the 12th century with its leaning tower dating from the 14th century, has a history of structural interventions. The tower was underpinned in 1918 to prevent further tilting. In 2015, the tower was in danger of collapse due to eroding stones, and £100,000-worth of work was undertaken then. The current repairs are needed to fix the floor, replaster some walls, and upgrade the electricity. The floor is now wonky, with slabs and slates cracked and moved, and timber sections rotted and infested with woodworm. The church is currently unable to hold community events due to its precarious state.
Church warden Richard Loynes explains the causes of the tilt. According to Daily Mail - News, Richard Loynes described the church as having no foundations and being just plonked on earth. He said the tilt is believed to be due to the building being on a big heap of clay that shrinks when dry. Some have said the tilt could be because the church is on a burial ground, according to Loynes. He asserts the church is fully stable, and there is no intention to correct the lean.
I wish we had the same level of funding as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
To address the urgent needs, Richard Loynes has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds. The exact timeline for the repairs if funding is secured remains unclear, and how much money has been raised so far through the GoFundMe campaign has not been disclosed.
The church holds additional historical significance. It is a grade-II listed structure. The village name Dry Doddington means 'dry estate of a man called Dodda' and is named in the 1086 Domesday Book. St. James contains a memorial to a 49 Squadron Avro Lancaster bomber that crashed near the village in November 1944. The church's unique lean and historical features make it a notable landmark in Lincolnshire.
The church is very much part of the village and we're proud of its uniqueness.
I wish we had the same levels of funding as the Leaning Tower of Pisa however - but that's not the case and we need help.
I'm off to Italy with the wife soon and will be visiting Pisa so I perhaps need to get speaking to them to see what the secret is.
We would never want to lose the crookedness of the spire.
The church has no foundations and was just plonked on earth. It was underpinned to make sure it doesn't move any more.
We think that is the most likely cause but some have said it could be on a burial ground too.
The floor is now also rather wonky after it sunk and slabs and slates have cracked and moved too.
We still have services but warn people about the wonky floor, so we need it replacing really for the safety of parishioners.
As with hundreds of churches we need to raise funds, but we're as bad, if not worse than most due to having the wonky floor.
We are turning to the public for help.