A BELL was stolen from Britain’s smallest church .
The 300-year-old bronze bell was taken from 15th century Bremilham Church at Cowage Farm, Malmesbury, overnight between February 26 and 27 last week.
In an appeal, Wiltshire Police said the bell was around 3ft high and weighed 100kg. It was mounted on an oak beam.
The farm yard chapel is the smallest church still in use in the country. The grade II listed building fits a congregation of 10 and for years was used as accommodation for farm turkeys.
The present farmers cleaned it out and it was reconstituted as a church. The chapel is a Guinness World Record holder.
People gather for the annual service at the chapel Picture: SWNS
Farmer Tom Collins said he had discovered the theft last week after he noticed the door to the chapel was ajar.
"This is the only bell for Bremilham Church. It's nearly 300 years old and it's gone and we're never going to get that bell back. It's that sad, really. We've lost a little bit of heritage," he told the BBC.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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