16164/3SCAFFOLDING went up at St Peter's Church in Little Cheverell, near Devizes, this week after a remarkable fundraising campaign brought in the £15,000 needed to start work on the roof of the medieval building.

The roof of the chancel and the vestry had been leaking badly and the parochial church council of St Peter's were anxious to start work on restoration.

The appeal was launched in January and met with an excellent response from the community. Caroline Yates, who runs her Confident Cookery classes from her home in the area, performed a fundraising cookery demonstration and many villagers and others contributed generous donations.

But it was grants from major conservation agencies and trusts that made the big difference and funding came in from the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Allchurches Trust Limited.

Lady Ruth Hawley, who spearheaded the campaign, was jubilant at their success, but sounded a note of caution.

She said: "Although our initial target has been met, we continue the fundraising, not least as the priority work on the church recommended by the architect for completion by 2009 amounts to over £30,000, and there is always the threat that the rest of the roof may sometime need to be done.

"A church of some sort has stood on the site of our present church for over 1,000 years."