Fenland church is enjoying new lease of life with community events planned

A Fenland village church is coming to life after years of being unused and uncared for.

Walpole St Andrew's Church saw its first religious event for more than three years over Easter after undergoing some repairs and renovation by a team of volunteers.

Stuart and Kester Potter, who have led the team, have made it their mission to breathe new life into St Andrew's Church in Walpole St Andrew in order to open it up for the community to use and enjoy.

The couple open the Church every Wednesday from 10am to noon and every first Saturday of the month for anyone to call in for a coffee or just to have a look around.

Now Kester and Stuart have been recognised as Volunteers of the Year by the Churches Conservation Trust and have received £500 and a certificate on behalf of their team of volunteers.

Walpole St Andrew’s Church was closed in 1986 and was handed over to the Churches Conservation Trust, who left a key with neighbours who could provide it to visitors on request to have a look around including those researching their ancestry.

The team have polished the pews and cleaned the remaining floors, the altar cloths have been revived and a large picture re-hung. The windows have been cleaned of all the years of grime and the brass has been polished with a few flowers placed to brighten the whole Church.

The Churches Conservation Trust has previoulsy removed a large part of the church floor around two pillars in an effort to discover what was causing the stone to flake and erode.

Initially they thought it was rising damp but there is no sign of damp on the floor and locals suggested the acetylene lamps that were used before electricity was installed may have got into the stonework causing the erosion.

It is hoped the floor will be relaid by the Trust shortly to enable the church to be open for even more community events including coffee mornings

Other repairs include replacement of lead to the north aisle which was stolen a few years ago.

The church clock was silenced during the renovations and so one of the main aims of the clean-up team was to get it working again. It has now regained its voice and chimes the quarters and rings out the hours.

The Walpoles' Rector, the Rev Barbara Burton began the Palm Sunday Service (April 10 th ) in St Andrew's Church with a blessing of the palms and a reading, this was the first religious event in the church for more than three years.

The congregation included the clean-up team and the choir from St Peter's Church with the church wardens and some of St Peter's congregation.

They then followed the cross carried by church warden William Brooks along the Chase footpath to Walpole St Peter Church for the communion service.

Then Saturday April 16 saw the first community event which was an Easter Egg Hunt when 59 children claimed an Easter Egg for completing the hunt for 15 letters of the alphabet that were hidden around the church and the adjoining swing field.

Adults enjoyed a hot drink and a hot cross bun all for the price of a donation. All money collected will be divided between the Conservation Trust and the clean-up team to provide sundries for cleaning and providing the refreshments.

The next event will be on Saturday June 4 and will be a Teddy Bears' Picnic to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee at Walpole St Andrew's Church at 10am to 12pm.