Wells church spire restored after Storm Eunice damage

Work to replace the spire will come to an end this week, just six months after Storm Eunice

A restoration project to replace a church spire that came down in Storm Eunice will be completed this week.

St. Thomas' Church in Wells attracted international attention when high winds knocked down the tip of the 18th Century church's spire in February.

Footage of the incident was shared by news outlets around the world.

Reverend Claire Towns, priest in charge at St. Thomas' Church, says the restoration is a symbol of hope for the city.

Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical has led the restoration project, completing the work just six months after the part of the spire came down.

This involved an extensive network of specialist suppliers with expertise in restoring damaged heritage properties.

Work to restore the spire involved a team of specialists

Sally Strachey Historic Conservation stonemasons, based in Wells, were appointed to work on the restoration of the spire, which suffered significant damage when the top part fell.

Ecclesiastical Insurance said it was "painstakingly" pieced back together before a copy was carved from stone to create an exact replica using traditional stone-carving techniques.

The original weathervane which was damaged by the fall has also been straightened and restored.

The replacement spire tip will have additional reinforcement to prevent it falling down in the future.

Jeremy Trott, claims director at Ecclesiastical, said the firm immediately got in touch with the church after seeing the video clip of the spire coming down,

Mr Trott said: "Thankfully no-one was injured and the damage was minimal. It could have been a lot worse."

Rev Towns says the spire's restoration is symbolic of new life for the people of the parish and city.

"We are hugely thankful to all those who have offered us prayers, encouragement and support in the past few months," she added.