A CHURCH that has been underused for several years could be restored – and locals can learn about recent progress at an upcoming village meeting.

The Wilton Sunrise Project is aiming to transform St Peter’s Church, Fugglestone, into a joint place of worship and a multi-use community facility.

Regular church services stopped in 2013, when the grade II-listed church's gas lighting system failed, and there is no water or electrical connection in the 12th century building.

But the church has national significance, as devotional poet George Herbert was a rector there in the early 1630s, and stakeholders are determined to save it.

The project is a collaboration between the Wilton Community Land Trust (CLT) and Wilton Parochial Church Council (PCC).

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It estimates that repairing and adapting St Peter’s could cost between £500,000 and £700,000, and the project will need to raise at least 10 per cent of funding.

Last month, it successfully bid for £20,000 in grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the project is ready to enter its next phase.

A public meeting to update locals on progress will take place at 10am on Saturday, November 2 at the Michael Herbert Hall on South Street.

They will hear from Salisbury MP John Glen and an architectural firm, among other speakers.

Neil Prigent, chair of Wilton CLT, said: “The public meeting has now been organised for Saturday, November 2.

“It is an exciting opportunity for the people of Wilton to hear about the project’s progress and discover how they can get involved.

“Speakers include John Glen MP, Wilton PCC and Wilton CLT, the George Herbert in Bemerton Group, Paul Stevens Architecture and a trustee from St John’s Place.”