A NEWLY-RESTORED church tower was formally rededicated at the weekend.
The blessing of the tower at St Colomba's Church, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, by the Bishop of Whitby, the Right Reverend Robert Ladds, marked the culmination of five years of fundraising.
The local community raised £365,000 to repair the tower following a survey by church architect Sebastian Rowe.
Financial support was given by English Heritage, Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, Hambleton District Council and the Diocese of York.
Local people also made donations ranging from £5 to £5,000 and a number of people made a regular gift of £2 a week for one or two years.
Several fund-raising events including barn dances, wine tastings, drama performances and competitions were held.
Yesterday, Bishop Ladds rededicated the tower following a service of thanksgiving.
Churchwarden John Phillips said: "Today is the culmination of five years of work - sometimes a bit of a struggle - but the threat of structural disintegration of our church building has ultimately enriched the life of our village and community."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article