The church steeple reopens after a major refurbishment championed by Mrs Judi Dench

The iconic tower of St Mary’s Collegiate Church in Warwick is reopening for the first time in over a year after a £1.8m restoration.

There have been extensive repairs to the stonework, clock faces, pinnacles and 12 heraldic shields to the 160ft tower, which is a visible landmark from some distance.

And the removed scaffolding will be open to the public again on Saturday, May 4, for the first time since January 2023.

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New for its return is a historical augmented reality experience created by the company Rivr.

Churchwarden John Luxton said: “It has been a long and difficult journey to get to this point.

“But thanks to the support of local and national organisations, generous donors and the fundraising efforts of volunteers, we are delighted to have restored the tower at St Mary’s to its former glory.

“We are aware of how disruptive this has been for the people of the city and we are grateful for their patience, but I think we can all agree that we see this iconic tower without scaffolding, with the stone repaired and the shields gleaming inside. the sun, it means that all the hardships were worth it.” The conservation work came after a major fundraising appeal backed by celebrities including Dame Judi Dench and a £250,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The reopening coincides with the arrival of the new vicar Reverend Canon Angus Aagaard at the 900-year-old church.

Through augmented reality, visitors have the chance to look at a 3D printed model of St. Mary’s, looking at the history of the church.

Warwick City Council’s Jayne Topham, who also contributed to the project, said: “As a huge tourist attraction for our town, not to mention a landmark with both historical and cultural significance and a massive for our local community, we were delighted. to have contributed to this renovation.

“Restoring it to its former glory is a huge moment for Warwick and we can’t wait to welcome more visitors to the town to see it first hand.”

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