Bid to mend Stanton St Quintin church gate before wedding (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Bid to mend Stanton St Quintin church gate before wedding

7:00am Friday 27th November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Staff at St Giles Church in Stanton St Quintin are desperately trying to repair their vandalised church gate in time for the wedding of 75-year-old bride-to-be Ruth Wither.

The wedding of Mrs Wither and the Rev Dr Brian Williamson from Malvern will take place on December 5 and churchwarden Nick Greene is keen to restore the Victorian lychgate after thieves stole over 100 valuable Cotswold stone tiles.

But planning regulations may foil a speedy solution leaving the picturesque church gate in a state of disrepair for Mrs Wither’s big day.

Mr Greene said: “Mrs Wither is a popular member of the village and it would be great to get it done by then.

“We were thinking of using simulated Cotswold stone effect tiles which are much cheaper.

“But the church is a Grade I listed building so we may be forced to replace the tiles like with like.

“We’re speaking to the diocese to find out what we can do.”

Mrs Wither, who moved to the village from Scotland eight years ago, said her wedding plans were already set.

She said: “It was really sad to see someone has stolen the tiles. They had been there for hundreds of years.

“I would absolutely love it if the lychgate could be finished, it is such a beautiful church. I know Nick wants it to be nice for us and also for the whole community.”

She said: “Hopefully the Christmas tree will be up by then. Then if it’s bucketing down outside we can have our photographs taken in front of the tree.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)