THE Reverend Bob Kenway of St Mary’s church in Calne has received a Care of Churches Award from the Salisbury Diocese as a new £250,000 heating system nears completion.

The heating hasn’t been fully functioning since January last year but after a second winter in the cold the new system should be switched on by the end of next week.

Every year the Salisbury Diocese rewards parish churches who have done exemplary work on facilities to maintain and improve the church with St Mary’s being one of just five churches from over 450 parishes to win the award.

Mr Kenway said: "It’s really good because a lot of people have put a lot of hard work into it.

"It’s terrific, it means the church is warm but it also preserves the fabric of the building by protecting the stone.

"We didn’t really start until January last year so it’s been a lot of hard work; planning, getting the permission and doing the designs.

"Given that it cost not far off a quarter of a million all together we have done pretty well to get it to the point its at now."

The 150-year-old heating system first broke in October 2013 but was repaired by Christmas only to fail again in January 2014 and the church has been without heating since.

For six weeks from January to February 2014, the church was so cold the congregation had to move down the road to Holy Trinity Church.

Mr Kenway launched an appeal in the Gazette and Herald last summer to help raise £250,000 to replace the broken heating system in the only Grade I listed building in Calne.

By the end of September the church had received more than £26,000 in donations from the town as well as receiving grants from Viridor, Hills Group Ltd, Friends of St Mary’s Church, Wiltshire Historic Churches, Calne Town Council and Calne Lions.

Mr Kenway said: "Of course the Gazette and Herald has played its part with an article last summer to help.

"The parishioners are pleased everyone is feeling really positive because it has been really cold some people thought it was too cold but they are coming back now."

The church is now planning a service of celebration of thanksgiving for all those who have been involved in the project and will see special choir performances and a visit from the Archdeacon of Wiltshire, Ruth Worsley.