A weathervane is glinting in the sunshine at Banham church once again following a restoration project. It had been removed from the top of the 125ft spire in April, having developed a distinct list, as it was feared it might fall down.

A weathervane is glinting in the sunshine at Banham church once again following a restoration project.

It had been removed from the top of the 125ft spire in April, having developed a distinct list, as it was feared it might fall down.

The repairs and re-gilding were carried out by W Larkins of Harlow in Essex, whose steeplejack encountered a few problems when he arrived at 7.30am last Thursday to put the weathervane back in place.

He discovered that lead on the roof was twisted, preventing the structure slotting into place, and had to hammer it back into shape in order to complete the task. This meant the project took longer than expected, attracting a crowd of villagers who were alerted by all the noise.

“When they started banging, the village was out in force.

“Replacing the weathervane only happens once in 100 years and it's shining brightly in the sunshine now,” said Antony Lloyd, the church's fabric officer.

The £3,000 repairs were funded by the parochial church council, and the Friends of Banham Church paid the additional £400 for the re-gilding.

The weathervane was last repaired in 1929, and should now be set fair to indicate the direction of the prevailing wind until the next century.