Church left badly damaged by freak lightning strike
WORSHIPPERS have been left stunned after lightning blasted their church steeple and left a series of holes in the roof.
The damage was caused as a storm swept over the region late on Monday night.
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Church left badly damaged by freak lightning strike
Most buildings avoided damage, but St Odulph Church in Pillaton, near Saltash, suffered a direct hit.
It came when a bolt of lightening struck the bell tower and exploded one of the turrets.
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The flying rubble smashed the slate tiles and left huge splinters of wood precariously dangling into the church below – near to the pulpit – at around midnight.
There was also damage caused at a neighbouring pub by the storm.
The Weary Friar felt the impact of the falling debris from the church.
Parishioner Tony Rowe is organising repairs to the devastation at the church.
He said: "One of the turrets on the tower exploded.
"There are around four or five holes on the roof of the church.
"Also some of the stone fell in front of the pub."
Mr Rowe fears it could take a lot of time to repair the damage.
He added: "We are having emergency roofing put on the building to secure it."
The church is closed to the public while it is made safe, secure and water tight.
The Weary Friar is a 12th Century country inn that was originally used to house the builders of the church and then became a rest-house inn.
A spokesman for the bar said: "There is no real damage to the pub building but a power surge took out the computers and phones, which I think happened across the village.
"Our credit card machines are also down.
"Some of the stone from the church fell onto one of our picnic benches outside and smashed it in half which we'll have to replace, but the pub itself hasn't been damaged."
The parish church became a listed building in 1968.
It is made from slatestone rubble with granite dressing.
9 Comments
by LegalizeWeed
Thursday, January 24 2013, 5:10AM
“Thor was displaying his displeasure”
by HermesThelema
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 9:41PM
“Whilst half asleep I saw a flash of lightning even with my eyes shut. I heard a voice enchant, "Do not be frightened of us, God." Thunder followed although I didn't hear rain.”
by CharlieDodd
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 6:33PM
“..Matt said- "Clearly god disagrees with christianity"..
Well the C of E did ban women bishops in direct violation of this verse, so no wonder he's miffed- "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, MALE NOR FEMALE, for you are all one" (Galatians 3:28 )”
by CornishPirate
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 4:24PM
“@josdave... Almost certainly! Why would they use their coffers full of tax free money when they have gullible imbiciles who would rather pay for it out of their own pocket!”
by josdave
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 3:59PM
“No doubt the very rich Church of England will not dip into it's well stocked coffers but ask the "faithful" to come up with the money for the repairs.”
by Molochius
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 11:23AM
“it shows natures got its priorities in order....striking the church and sparing the pub haha :)”
by Matt2112
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 10:44AM
“Clearly god disagrees with christianity, what better evidence for the religious to accept secularism and drop their inane rituals?
(yes the irony is intended)
Shame a lovely building was damaged though.”
by haunt
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 10:12AM
“Someones been up to no good, it was an act of God”
by CharlieDodd
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 8:49AM
“..'The church became a listed building in 1968'..
It's listing now”