Roof restoration starts at Norfolk church hit by devastating fire
St Mary's Church at Beachamwell was hit by a massive blaze in November last year
A major restoration project is underway at a Norfolk church hit by a devastating fire in February last year.
11 fire crews were called to St Mary's Church in Beachamwell, near Swaffham, as flames consumed the rare thatched roof.
It's believed the fire was started accidentally, as workers completed repairs on a section of roof from which lead had been stolen.
A major restoration project has been underway since at a cost of around ÂŁ3.5m, which is being covered by insurance.
St Mary's Reverend Ian Mack told Greatest Hits Radio: "We've had the roof trusses put on the church... it's a really big development, up until then the church did look like a ruined shell."
"People physically seeing a roof go back on the church made them feel 'yes, there's real progress here'".
"There is still a lot more to do, because we need to sort out the inside of the church. There are some very historic bits that need to be put back and restored and repaired."
St Mary's was originally built by the Saxons and is mentioned in the Domesday Book, which was published in 1087.
It is a rare example of a church with both a thatched roof and a circular tower.
Church Warden Peter Berendt said: "It was built before the Norman Conquest and is described architecturally as a Saxo-Norman round tower thatched church."
"There were many of them in East Anglia and across the country, but we think ours is one of about five remaining which have both the round tower and the thatched roof."