A CHURCH which saw its congregation dwindle to two and was about to close its doors looks to have been given a new lease of life. 

The Western Telegraph broke in February how St Madoc of Ferns in Haroldston West was on the brink of closure after almost 1,000 years of worship was coming to an end with no one attending.

But now the church looks to have been saved as a local community group plan to form a charity and take over the running of the church for community uses and continued church services.

The first thing St Madoc of Ferns Community Trust will do is welcome a group of Pilgrims travelling the ‘Way of St David’ in July.

One of the aims of the trust is to work with Pilgrimage groups and to welcome pilgrims walking the ‘Way of St Davids’.

They will be meeting their first group of Pilgrims on July 28 and in the true tradition of Pilgrimage, will provide refreshments and rest to the Pilgrims who will be walking from Little Haven to Solva and then on to their final destination of St Davids.

Western Telegraph: One of the last churchwardens Diana Thomas (centre) attended St Madoc nearly all her life and saw her daughter married thereOne of the last churchwardens Diana Thomas (centre) attended St Madoc nearly all her life and saw her daughter married there

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The Community Trust say they are keen to strengthen these links and allow the church’s rich history to continue and flourish.

The church hit headlines when one of only two churchwardens left, Diana Thomas, said she was devasted to announce that the church, which she has attended nearly all her life and where she saw her daughter marry, was having to close.

However local history group Havens History managed to form a committee that agreed in principle to take over the church at a peppercorn rate

St Madoc, a disciple of St David founded the small church nestling in a wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast, and was also the first Bishop of Ferns in Wexford, Ireland.