Church holds first carol service since fire

A 1,000-year-old church has held its first carol service nearly two years after it was gutted by fire.

St Mary's Parish Church in Beachamwell in Norfolk had "significant damage" throughout the building after the blaze in February 2022.

While work is still to be completed on the building, more than 70 people made up the congregation, which has had to meet monthly on the village green.

Tony Mills, licensing minister, said: "Now we are back in the church in the house of God and it's wonderful."

The fire was believed to have started after a spark from welding landed on the thatched roof.

At the time, the 11th Century church was days away from reopening after lead was stolen from its roof in 2019.

Mr Mills said it was "absolutely wonderful" to be singing carols "in the right place".

"In the medieval days it would have been a dirt floor and there wouldn't have been glass in the windows, so we are back to where we were as much as 1,000 years ago."

Peter Berendt, church warden, said: "We have a carol service every year, but since the fire we have had to hold them in the village hall.

"Now we have got the church to a state where it's weather proof... it seemed we had a space we could use."

While the church has been able to open for this event, there is still work to do on its interior.

He said they were yet to restore the ceilings, replaster the building, relay the flooring and install electrics and heating.

"The future of the building is certainly looking bright. It has stood for 1,000 years and our renovations and restoration is designed to at least make it stand for another 1,000 years," he said.

"Once we've done it, we shouldn't have any major costs to pay for at least 30 years."

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