RESIDENTS have formed an action group to protect the future of Edlesborough Church.
And they are encouraging people to show the 800-year-old landmark “some tender loving care”.
Friends of the ‘Church on the Hill’ say that people need to visit it and use it for events and activities more to ensure that the Churches Conservation Trust continues to invest in the upkeep.
With that in mind, the group has organised a full day of entertainment this Saturday (June 30).
The Chiltern West Gallery Choir will be performing 18th Century music at 11am. Entry is free, but donations are encouraged.
At 7.30pm, a concert featuring the Dagnall Community Choir, soloists and the Memory Lane Instrumentalists will be held at the church.
Tickets are priced at £8, £7 and £5 for under 18s.
A team of 14 volunteers sacrificed a rare sunny Saturday in May to give the church’s interior a thorough but careful cleaning, avoiding the use of industrial products to respect the work of countless medieval craftsmen.
Edlesborough Church was deemed redundant in 1975, but has still been a favourite filming location for Hollywood productions.
The inside of the building was used for 2008 movie Made Of Honor, starring Patrick Dempsey.
It has also been the backdrop for medieval thriller The Reckoning, featuring Paul Bettany and Willem Dafoe.
George Crutcher, of the Friends of the Church on the Hill, said: “For almost 800 years the Church on the Hill at Edlesborough has been a striking feature for those making their way to Leighton Buzzard market, or travelling along the Icknield Way.
“And for most of that time villagers in Edlesborough and adjoining parishes will have grown up within the sound of the peel of the six bells in the tower.
“It was built of the local fine, but soft, Totternhoe stone which is particularly susceptible to the ravages of time, weather and atmospheric pollution. This conservation work will have to continue if the physical security of the church is to be secured for future generations.”
If you are interested in joining the group, or wish to help with future events, call chairman Mark Wilson on 07519 663274. Tickets for Saturday’s event can be bought by calling Alan Williams on 01525 221637.