AN ICONIC Vale church has undergone extensive roof repairs – thanks to village fundraising efforts and a generous charity donation.

Frome St Quintin church lies at the end of a grass track leading across a field and in recent years, has suffered from water penetration as a result of problems with its roof.

The village has a very small population, but the community rallied to the cause, and raised a significant sum towards repairs – but not enough to cover the whole cost of the work that was needed.

The Dorset Historic Churches Trust was asked to consider giving the church a grant, and approved a payment of £6,000, enabling extensive repairs to be made to the roof, and re-decoration of the interior barrel vault ceiling.

Frome St Quintin church

And before the Sunday service on November 19, David Grant, the newly-elected chair of Dorset Historic Churches Trust, put his signature to a ‘mega-cheque’ in the presence of the Rev Tim Greenslade and churchwarden Sophie Stovin.

The Trust’s Deanery Area Representative, Shaun Leavey, said: “This was a fitting finale to the combined efforts over the last two years of local people and Dorset Historic Churches Trust to keep the rain out of one of the Blackmore Vale’s most iconic churches, and maintain it in use for many years to come.”