A REVEREND braved dizzying heights to bless a new cross on the roof of St Lawrence Chapel in Warminster.

Reverend Liz Smith, along with chairman of feoffees Dave Pollard and Warminster councillor Andrew Davis, climbed up scaffolding to carry out the blessing on Sunday, August 7.

The chapel’s chancel was restored in Victorian times and a new cross was placed on the altar end of the roof, but at some point it went missing and no record exists to explain what happened to it.

Chairman of the chapel’s feoffees David Pollard said: “Recently a chapel feoffee noted while viewing a pen and ink drawing within the chapel that there had been a cross in place on the altar end roof of the chancel.

“This fact was relayed to the chapel friends who were delighted to help and offered to fund works to have the cross resurrected.

“The feoffees owe much to their tireless dedication and arrangements were put in place to have the works done.

“Rev Liz Smith, from the Minster Church, bravely ‘rose’ to the occasion and ascended the steep scaffolding with Councillor Andrew Davis and stonemason Mika Newman, where Rev Smith blessed the new stone cross with holy water and rosemary.

“When she descended she was greeted with much applause from the gathered congregation for her dedication to her ministry.”

On Sunday, the congregation was celebrating both the blessing of the new cross and their annual Patronal Service, giving people two reasons to celebrate.

Chapel steward Keith Rattray said: “I thought Rev Liz Smith captured the moment when she pointed out that in our new stained glass window, St Lawrence is depicted holding a cross, which is something none of us had noticed.

“When seen in relation to the lost chapel cross, it seems another hand is at work guiding and reminding us, and how fitting that thought is when a new cross is about to be blessed, Rev Smith tied all the strand together for us and made us understand what we are about to witness.

“It was very brave of her to climb the steep scaffolding and do her ministry up high where no other local minister has been.”