Village celebrates restoration (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Village celebrates restoration

AN HISTORIC monument at St Mary's Church in Meysey Hampton has been restored to full glory in time for the village's golden jubilee celebrations along with two other major projects.

The magnificent wall monument commemorating the life of James Vaulx, a doctor who lived in the parish and died in 1626, now stands tall and proud in the south transept of the Church after being cleaned up and repaired.

The striking 15ft tall monument depicts the figure of James Vaulx, who is described as famous practitioner in Physicke and Surgery, and his two wives, Phillipa and Edith standing in an arched niche of marble.

Standing beneath them are the figures of Vaulx's 16 children.

Elizabeth Breton, a former church warden at St Mary's, said: "The monument has been in a state of disrepair for years but we finally managed to secure enough money to help clean and restore it.

"The church council is delighted because it is an important piece of the parish's history and visitors always admire it."

The restoration works cost just under £7,000 to complete which villagers in Meysey Hampton helped fund.

The Council for the care of Churches donated £2,000 towards the cost of the project, £1,000 was received by St Andrew's Conservation Trust and Cotswold District Council awarded £650 in grant-aid.

A second project has also been completed to repair 22 broken tombstones, some dangerous, in the churchyard at a cost of £3,700.

Meysey Hampton Parish Council, Cotswold District Council Historic Buildings and Areas Grant Scheme, the Diocesan Advisory Council, the St Mary's Church Council and private donations have contributed towards the cost of funding.

The church council has also resurfaced the gravel path through the churchyard with natural Yorkstone paving to improve wheelchair and pushchair access.

Hanson Environmental Community Grants Scheme which supports community projects, supplied £3,112 of the £3,455 needed.

Mrs Breton added: "We are very pleased that all three projects have now been completed.

"The overall look of the churchyard has been improved and everyone is delighted with the finished result.

"The path was completed on Thursday May 30, just in time for the wedding of Robert ABear and Caroline Gilford.

"The restoration works have coincided very well with the village celebrations for the Queen's golden jubilee and the visit to the church last week by members of the Birmingham branch of Mencap."

Pictured is former churchwarden Elizabeth Breton with the restored monument