E Bowmans and Son of Stamford, the main contractors rebuilding the St Mary's Church in Westry which was destroyed by fire in March 2010 have gone into administration.

A COMPANY awarded the £550,000 contract to re-build fire damaged St Mary’s Church, March, has ceased trading just days before they had completed the massive project.

E Bowmans and Son of Stamford, the main contractors rebuilding the St Mary's Church in Westry which was destroyed by fire in March 2010 have gone into administration.

St Mary’s architect Shona McKay said Stamford based Bowman’s “had substantially finished their work, and were probably only two weeks away from finishing.

“It could have been a lot worse for us, and very fortunately the excellent scaffolding company who rescued us on the day of the fire and propped up the spire were on site and are going to finish everything off.”

Forty nine jobs have been lost as Bowman of Cherryholt Road, Stamford, revealed they had failed to restructure through a company voluntary agreement and so had now called a creditors meeting to appoint administrators.

The 125 year old company specialises in historic building work and Ms McKay, of Archimage architects and designers of Wilburton, believes their workers will soon find jobs elsewhere.

E Bowman and Sons of Stamford, the main contractors rebuilding the St Mary's Church in Westry which was destroyed by fire in March 2010 have gone into administration just days after finishing the project.

“They’ll be picked up quickly,” she said. “They deliver excellent craftsmanship.”

She added: “I suppose this is what happens in life. Companies disappear in times of recession and new ones come up.”

She said fitting out of the church interior was now out to tender and they hope soon to announce the firm to complete the expected year long contract.

“Just wait till you see the chancel roof,” said Ms McKay who remains excited about the church which is slowly coming back to life at Westry.

E Bowmans and Son of Stamford, the main contractors rebuilding the St Mary's Church in Westry which was destroyed by fire in March 2010 have gone into administration.

Bowman craftsmen painstakingly put back into position last year trusses that were reassembled and then raised into position using the same techniques used by the original craftsmen who built St Mary’s nearly 140 years ago.

Bowman has worked out many other major contracts in recent years including refurbishment work on Lincoln Castle and Ely Cathedral and an extension to Peterborough Library.