Heritage event in Thistleton in Rutland reveals how to save a church

A village welcomed people from far and wide who were wanting to find out about its fascinating history.

The heritage weekend, which centred around Thistleton’s church, was a chance to delve into the village’s parish records, stories from which were displayed and retold.

The event was opened on Saturday by Lord Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness and was the culmination of many months of hard work by villagers.

They created displays and wrote up potted histories which could be seen in St Nicholas’ Church, a Victorian building they saved from closure in 2017, before giving it a new lease of life as a multi-purpose building for worship and community use.

Sue Hughes, one of the Friends of Thistleton Church, said: “People said some really lovely things over the weekend, including that what we have done in keeping the church in use is an example to other villages.

“The Lord Lieutenant’s visit was a highlight - it went like clockwork - and we had some really interesting people who came to visit from Rutland and further afield.

“People came along because they had been baptised in the church, or because their mum and dad were married there.”

The church, which has heating and lighting, will continue to be used for talks and community activities such as yoga and art. People from outside the village are encouraged to hire it too.

“Our Saturday cafés have been a huge success,” added Sue. “They kept the community going during the pandemic, when there was nothing else that could happen. When people couldn’t go inside the church because of the rules, we ran the café as a ‘cake-away’ instead.

The church is now open daily, 11am to 4pm.