Cash boost for Aldworth Giants

Historic stone effigies receive donation from Berkshire Masonic Charity

A CAMPAIGN to save a series of historic 14th-century stone effigies which sit in a tiny rural West Berkshire village has received a cash boost.

The Berkshire Masonic Charity has donated £750 to the fund to help preserve and restore the nine unique Aldworth Giants, monuments of the De La Beche family, which reside in St Mary's Church in Aldworth.

Priceless as the effigies are, the cost of repairs needed to make the church damp proof, which would involve ripping out huge layers of concrete, could run into tens of thousands of pounds, and the campaign to raise money has been running steadily for almost a year.

The church is also holding afternoon teas from 2.30pm until 4.30pm every Wednesday throughout the summer in an effort to raise funds for the redevelopment of the church.