The ancient church of St Mary the Virgin, Great Henny, features in Thomas Gainsborough's painting titled "Wooded Landscape with Herdsman Seated", painted c 1746-8, although the spire of the church looks different now. the church sits high above the Stour Valley. The tower of St Mary's is the oldest part of the church, built in two sections between 1066 and 1199. The tilted spire sits 233.2 feet above sea level, and due to its height it is often windy! In the 1980's the church was underpinned - however the vestry was not and is now falling away from the main body of the building. Huge cracks have appeared in the walls of the church as the vestry leans away from the nave - these cracks are getting bigger daily and the church is now in danger of collapse. Reports from a structural engineer reveal that the vestry needs to be underpinned at a cost of around £50,000. Given the very small population of the villages of Great and Little Henny that are served by the church, this is an enormous sum to raise. Delaying the underpinning work results in further subsidence - the sooner the work can be started the more likely it is that the church can be saved from further damage.

Please give generously to help save this beautiful and ancient church.