Generous parishioners have managed to literally raise the roof after donating more than £35,000 towards essential repairs to the St Andrew’s Church roof.

But just days after the scaffolding went up to begin the £65,000 repairs to the south aisle, the congregation was dealt another blow after an architects report concluded the spire needed emergency repairs to the tune of another £35,000.

The Rev Simon Tatton-Brown said his congregation had managed to raise more than half of the money needed for the church roof repairs over the last three years and had every confidence they could rally around again.

He said: “People have worked really, really hard to raise this money for the repairs and I would like to say a huge thank you.

“We have managed to raise this money on top of everything else including all our other bills.

“We have had to dip into our savings and our reserves which will now need to be built up again.

“Unfortunately we now have the latest architect’s report which said our next priority is for essential stone work on the church spire which we imagine will cost in the region of £35,000.

“If the work was at ground level it would not cost half as much but being on top of the church we have to pay for more scaffolding which makes it much more expensive.”

The money was raised by the congregation by holding various coffee mornings and fundraisers throughout the last three years.

The scaffolding which now surrounds the church is expected to be up until December when the work is due to finish.

Another change at the church will be the way in which this year’s Remembrance Sunday services are held.

After consulting the people in Chippenham, Mr Tatton-Brown has decided to hold the silence at 11am at the war memorial in the Market Place.

The church service will be held promptly at 10am before moving to the Market Place for 11am. The change is in response to several requests for the minute silence to be held at war memorial.