Last updated at 06:53, Friday, 30 July 2010

ST PETER’S Church in Camerton will not be open to the public for at least six months, its vicar has said.

The church, which was affected by the November floods, has no electricity and the Rev Ian Grainger, vicar of Seaton, Camerton and Northside, said: “I am not sure when the church itself will be useable again as progress on reinstating an electricity supply is slow.

“This is the first step in a process which could possibly take up to six months to complete once agreement has been reached.”

Electricity North West has submitted a planning application to Allerdale council this week to replace the overhead electricity line.

Gravestones were uprooted, flood defences washed away and the only road access to the church collapsed when the River Derwent burst its banks, but the church itself was left virtually unscathed.

A survey revealed that the building suffered a small crack in its fabric.

Road access to the church was restored last month and Mr Grainger said work on repositioning some of the damaged and dislodged headstones should begin in September.

Egremont Estates has returned the river to its original course and has reinstated some of the river banks swept away during the floods.

First published at 19:28, Thursday, 29 July 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk