A Victorian church in north Farnham is celebrating the restoration of its tower following major fundraising and repair work.

St John’s Church, Hale, is holding a service on Saturday, March 14 at 4pm, to say thank you, not just to God but to the community and grant-givers whose generosity and hard work meant the parish raised more than £32,000 to pay for the repairs.

The church was opened in 1844 but looks older than this as it is in the Romanesque style which dominated church architecture in the 11th to 12th century.

It was extended in 1897 to accommodate a growing congregation following the expansion of Aldershot as a garrison town. Over the years, however, the stonework began to deteriorate, particularly on the tower, and the church needed to fence off the area around it for safety purposes.

Revd Lexi Russell, rector of the church, said: “Not long after I arrived in the parish, there was enthusiasm to raise the rest of the funds needs to restore our beloved church tower. The Lord provided some generous donations and we were ready to begin.

“It was exciting seeing the scaffolding going up, and day by day parts of the work complete. Before we knew it, the job had finished and now it’s standing as strong as ever.

“The time has come to give thanks to God and the generous people who have worked incredibly hard to fundraise and donate towards this project.

“Our hope is that this beautiful church, which has stood as a beacon of hope for generations before us, will now continue to stand as that same beacon of home for generations to come. Please join us as we thank God for the completion of the works, and celebrate the blessing this church is to us and the community.”

For further information call Revd Lexi on 07792233477.