Medieval church saved from escarpment collapse

The parish church of St Eustace is perched just two metres away from a steep escarpment

A village church has been saved from collapse following a £100,000 fundraising effort by the local community.

The 700-year-old parish church of St Eustace in the village of Ibberton, near Blandford, is perched just 2m away from a steep escarpment.

After cracks emerged and signs the building was moving towards the edge of the steep slope, residents raised the money to stabilise the building.

At a service to mark the completion of the work, the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Reverend Stephen Lake, said the villagers had "saved this focal point of their community".

The Bishop of Salisbury praised the fundraising efforts of the local community

Overlooking the village, which has a population of just 110, St Eustace's is built on a hill with a 1:21 gradient.

The hill is so steep, it is only possible to reach the church on foot.

Monitoring of the building's condition began in the 1960s. In recent years cracks appeared in the north aisle southwest corner as the building was pulled ever closer to the escarpment's edge, putting it at risk of collapse.

Following a successful six-month fundraising effort, work began to stabilise the building earlier this year.

Church secretary Annette Newman said St Eustace's was "so valued as the heart of our small community".

"We are immensely grateful to everyone who has supported our campaign to save it – from individual contributions right up to trusts and foundations," she added.

Bishop Stephen said saving the church had been an "incredible achievement".

"I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to this extraordinary small community for their dedication in fundraising such a huge sum to carry out these essential works to their parish church," he said.

The villagers confirmed they were planning to fundraise some more to repair leaks in the roof.