Country diary: The quiet vitality of a well-managed churchyard | Phil Gates

Brancepeth, County Durham: It's nearly 30 years since St Brandon's was devastated by fire. Today, both inside and out, it is full of light and life"Please close the door. It conserves heat and keeps the organ in tune," requests the notice inside the church door. It's pleasantly warm inside, on this chilly April morning. But on the night of 16 September 1998, temperatures here exceeded 1,000C, when fire consumed the old organ, along with the floors, window, roof and 900 years of history, leaving a charred shell.Seven years of reconstruction and renewal followed, creating a light, airy interior: simple pale oak has replaced the darker, more intricate furnishings, and a new east window portrays an exotic floral paradise. Continue reading...