Church is preparing to host a heritage afternoon at weekend

ON Sunday 4th June, St Edith’s Church in Monks Kirby is opening its doors to visitors to celebrate the completion of repair works to the pinnacles and weathervanes, and a year-long series of heritage activities, thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Visitors will be encouraged to climb to the top of the church tower to admire the stunning views across the countryside, and to marvel at the restored pinnacles and golden weathervanes – which now dazzle when they catch the sun.

For those less able, there will be a choice of digital products than enables everyone to explore the ‘architectural gem’ of St Edith’s church, whilst remaining at ground level.

Another exciting attraction will be the unveiling of a replica LEGO® model of the church, which a number of local community groups helped build using 15,000 bricks. The model was designed and completed by Bricks McGee.

The celebration kicks off on Sunday June 4 at 2pm. Visitors will have until 4pm to experience a range of heritage activities, including guided tours, browsing books capturing the repair works to the pinnacles, a computergenerated “artist’s impression” of what the church would have looked like as a priory with monks hundreds of years ago, self-led smartphone tours of the stained glass windows, have-a-goat-bellringing sessions, and hands-on craft activities, similar to those Medieval monks would have done.

All this has been made possible, thanks to a £59,229 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players; and grants from Trinity College Cambridge; the Warwickshire and Coventry Historic Churches Trust; and Coventry Diocese.

St Edith’s Church is a Grade I listed building, located in Monks Kirby (one of the Revel villages). It is the largest parish church in Warwickshire, measuring approximately 110ft by 50ft. The first church on the site of St Edith’s is said to have been founded in 917 by Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great. However, the current Priory Church of St Edith’s dates from 1077, when Geoffrey de la Guerche, a Breton knight rebuilt the church. COMMENTING on the award, Patricia Barnett, a church representative, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players. The funding allowed us to carry out urgent repairs to the church pinnacles on the tour. It also gave us an opportunity to engage people of all ages with the diverse heritage that St Edith’s has on offer.”