A bright new beginning for Warwickshire church - five years after fire

St Nicholas church was targeted in an arson attack in March 2008 which destroyed the building, leaving only a smouldering shell of charred rubble.

It took a great community effort and four years of fundraising before a rebuild could begin. Villagers rallied round to organise community festivals and ‘safari supper’ events, write recipe books to sell and make numerous other fundraising efforts.

But tomorrow (Friday) the new church wil be open all day for visitors to see the completed building, made possible thanks to the hard work put in by the people who use it.

At the request of villagers, the outer appearance of the church is very similar to how it was before, but once inside, people will notice a new stone floor with under-floor heating, a different lay-out in the main nave of the church, new stained glass windows, a more open glass gable roof structure and two extensions, which include an office, kitchen, flower room and toilets.

The £2.6 million project also includes a war memorial designed by Emma Blount and a Millennium window re-done by Aidan McRae-Thompson, who designed the original feature.

While building work was taking place, an old staircase was revealed that had not been visible before, so it has now been opened up for use.

Priest-in-charge the Rev Martin Green, who has overseen the project, said: “It is all stunning and the main contractor, Croft Conservation, has done a remarkable job of restoring the old and combining the new with true skill.

“It has been a long and difficult journey, but we have had some amazing people on our team that have turned hopes and ideas into a reality.

“So at last, after the pain of destruction, we have the joy of a new beginning, for the church and the community.”

He added: “It really does feel a special place already. My prayer is that the new church will become an open door to God’s Kingdom, and everyone who comes in will be touched by His grace in some way.”

The Rev Green hosted a celebration event for those who have been involved in the re-build at the church on Wednesday, while on Friday, St Nicholas is open from 10am for visitors to have a look inside. There will be a formal opening service at 7pm.

Then on Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, the church will hold its first service at 10.30am since before it burnt down five years ago.

The Rev Green said: “It will be a fitting day for this new and exciting beginning.”

As well as services, the church now hosts ‘messy church’ and ‘quality church’ sessions for children, midweek group meetings, a fortnightly Radford Rendezvous social gathering and bell ringing sessions. To find out more, contact the Rev Green on 613466 or email [email protected] or visit www.stnicholasrestored.co.uk