Crowfield church receives a powerful helping hand

Restoration of a 600-year-old church has been completed thanks to electricity engineers lending a helping hand.

When officials at Crowfield’s All Saints’ Church realised they faced costs of more than £500 to erect scaffolding to place a new cross on their tower, they turned to UK Power Networks for the answer.

Workers were happy lend a ‘cherry picker’ so the new wooden cross could be lifted into position.

Linesman Joe Freezer said: “We always like to help community good causes and were able to pick a quiet time to schedule this job.

“The cherry picker is usually employed to install or repair overhead power lines but it will be nice to see it put to a different purpose.

“It was a relatively quick job to do so no problem.”

Crowfield’s Grade II listed medieval church is on the road to Stonham Aspal and has the only timber-framed chancel in Suffolk.

Its new cross has been carved from English Oak sourced from Yorkshire and the carver, Colin Ashman, has inserted a 2015 10 pence piece into the cross to denote the year it was made.

The Rev Philip Payne, church vicar, said: “We expect the cross to remain in place for another 100 to 150 years, maybe longer, before it too will need replacing.

“Whoever does take it down will discover the coin and know immediately when the cross was made.

“We are very grateful to UK Power Networks and to everyone who has helped get this final piece of the restoration completed.”

Before resident Jamie Dreher, of Ashwood Property Services, installed the cross, it was blessed by the Rev Payne as it lay side by side with its predecessor.

UK Power Networks delivers electricity to eight million homes and businesses.