Beachamwell: Blaze rips through 11th Century thatched church

A fire that ripped through the thatched roof of a thousand-year-old church has caused "really significant damage", a fire service has said.

The blaze at St Mary's Parish Church in Norfolk is thought to have been started by a spark from welding equipment.

Firefighters were called to the Grade I listed church in Beachamwell, near Swaffham, at about 10:45 GMT.

Workmen had been replacing lead which had been stolen from part of the medieval church.

Scaffolding had been erected on the site and the work was just two days away from being completed.

The workmen, who did not want to be identified, told BBC Look East they had been welding lead when a spark had landed on another part of the roof - which was thatched - and caught light.

They said they had used their fire extinguisher until it emptied, but the blaze quickly took hold.

Terry Pinto, of Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: "It was such a beautiful church in the heart of the community."

He said the cause of the blaze, which had damaged the "entirety" of the building, was believed to be accidental and a thorough investigation was under way.

"It was a really, really substantial fire. You can see by what's left of the building that it took hold very quickly.

"We'd hope there would be some parts of the building that would still be salvageable, but we're not in a position to be able to enter the church at the moment."

Structural engineers would now assess the damage, as there were fears about the stability of the church tower that houses two large bells, Mr Pinto added.

Firefighters were alerted to the scene by a flurry of calls from worried residents, with the church surrounded by houses.

No-one was hurt during the incident, the fire service said.

In 2019, thieves targeted the remote "internationally significant" building over two nights, the EDP reported at the time.

At the height of the fire, flames could be spotted engulfing the round tower and rising from the roof.

The church, with its round tower believed to be one of the oldest in Norfolk, was thought to be last surviving one of four that once served the area.

The archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech, Hugh McCurdy, said: "What is very sad for this community, is that it's an ancient church.

"You read the history of this community in this church."

Steph Brown, who lives and works in the village, described the fire as "very, very sad".

"It's a beautiful church with a thatched roof. The spire has gone, the roof has gone, the windows have gone.

"The church is a shell of what it used to be."

According to Historic England, the medieval church's western tower dates back to the 11th Century, with additions to the building made through the years.

In a statement, it said it was "saddened" to hear of the fire and described the building as "a rare-surviving example of a medieval, thatched-roofed church".

"We are liaising with the church and local authority and will look to support them," the heritage conservation body said.

"We await further details on the situation and the extent of the damage. "

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