A SMALL team of volunteers have recently begun the task of repainting the churchyard railings at Crediton Parish Church.

The first section to be completed is the 270 railings which run from the church toilets to the main road.

Once these railings are completed, the plan is that a second phase will be the 650 or so railings which run from near the church car park entrance to the north west corner of the churchyard.

One of those helping with the repainting, Bill Jerman, said: “Several people have kindly volunteered to help with the priming and painting of the railings but we will need help with the task of scraping and sanding down the railings getting them ready for painting.

“If we can get a good number of volunteers to give up about two hours of their time to prepare just 20 railings each, this will turn a potentially onerous task into something quite easy.”

Mr Jerman said he expected the start on the second phase of work would begin after the forthcoming Flower Festival which runs from June 3 to 8.

Anyone willing to assist should please telephone Bill on 01363 772865.  

He added that it is hoped that the repainting of the remaining railings that run from opposite the Crediton Dairy entrance down Church Lane to the church car park entrance will take place next year.

The churchyard railings largely date from the late 1860’s through to 1911 and were most likely made in Crediton by members of the Pollard family.

The missing railings from the south and west sides of the churchyard were given up in the early 1940’s in support of the World War Two war effort.

Alan Quick