Parishioners have celebrated after their church re-opened following a fire more than a year ago.

On Sunday, the Bishop of Dorchester, Colin Fletcher, re-opened All Saints Church in Church Road, Churchill, near Chipping Norton, and led a celebratory service.

Church warden Keith Gowing said: “The service went very well, the church was packed to the gunwales. There were about 300 people there and the bishop was brilliant. It was a very joyful occasion and we all felt it went very well.”

The 180-year-old church was partly destroyed by the fire in August 2007. It is still not known what caused the blaze, which was spotted by a farmer who was having a beer in the village’s Chequers pub after a hard day of combine harvesting.

At first he thought it was a bonfire he could see through the pub windows, but then rang the fire brigade on his mobile. The Chipping Norton fire crew were joined by firefighters from Charlbury, Hook Norton and Oxford, working to damp down the blaze until the early hours of the following morning.

Although the fire was contained to parts of the ground floor, severe heat and smoke damage affected the rest of the church.

It took six months for the £750,000 repairs, which included redecorating and rewiring, to be completed.

The cost was mainly covered by insurance.

During the work, the church’s layout was changed, with many pews moved to give more space.

Mr Gowing added: “We are very relieved and very pleased to be back inside the church, and it looks lovely.”

During the upheaval, parishioners worshipped at the village hall.

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