Insurers of a Norfolk village church damaged in a huge fire say they are working towards its restoration, as they released the first image showing the building's gutted interior.
The firm, Ecclesiastical Insurance, have said that St Mary the Virgin Church in Beachamwell, near Swaffham, can be restored following a blaze that tore through the building on Wednesday, February 2.
The interior of the Grade I listed church has been gutted by fire but the Diocese of Ely said "virtually all" of the written records are safe, including the Marriage Registers and the current Burial Register and Service Book.
A loss adjuster has visited the site and the diocese said it is awaiting further information, including structural assessments about the condition of the building.
Jeremy Trott, claims director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “It is always heart-breaking to see beautiful historic buildings destroyed by fire, particularly when you consider the age of the church and the significant role it plays within the local community.
“The thatched roof and most of the internal contents of St Mary’s Church have all been destroyed by the blaze.
"Sadly this isn’t the first church fire we have dealt with in our 135 years of insuring churches, and we know from previous experience that the building can be restored, despite the extensive damage.
"We are experts in these complex projects and we are already working closely with the church, PCC and our partners on the steps towards the restoration of the building.”
Meanwhile, the diocese said it is considering what needs to be done in the coming weeks and months, and its immediate next steps are to clear the church of debris, secure the building and determine how to protect the walls and remaining stain glass work.
The Venerable Hugh McCurdy, Archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech, said: "We are fortunate that despite the relatively small number of regular worshippers at St Mary the Virgin Church, they had the means and the foresight to meet the annual costs of insuring the church against such damage.
"Sadly it is not always the case that similar small rural churches, with few worshippers and limited financial means, are as fortunate.
"It is our hope that the insurers, Ecclesiastical Insurance, who specialise in the insurance of places of worship, will meet the vast majority of the expected costs of rebuilding and repairing the damage.
"Nonetheless we expect there to be a shortfall in the full amount required, and will be working with the local community to, among other things, form a friends’ group to help meet the financial costs expected in order to bring the building back to its former glory."
A Diocese of Ely spokesman added that a number of valuables were securely stored in a fire proof safe in the church after the PCC invested in one.
"These items were protected from the fire", they added.
"These items have now been safely and securely stored elsewhere.
"Other items, such as some of the paper documentation, were in the possession of the member of clergy at the time, and so were not in the building at the time of the fire.
"The silver chalice and plate were unscathed and they are now in another secure safe off-site."
The fate of a 14th century carving of a devil, known as the 'Beachamwell Devil', is not yet known.
A diocese spokesman added: "At this stage we are uncertain.
"We are trying to find out but getting into the church is still difficult due to the debris created by the fire."
The church bells are also said to be secure and remain in the tower, which is being independently assessed to determine the "structural status" of a timber frame from which the bells hang.
The diocese said that if necessary the bells will have to be lowered and then moved off-site to a secure storage area before being assessed for damage.
It added this may take some weeks to determine.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here