South Benfleet church's 200-year-old cockerel repaired on BBC show

The Church of St Mary the Virgin, in South Benfleet, saw its weathervane damaged after it fell off the church roof in bad weather last year.

Retired priest Father Leslie Drake enlisted the help of Dominic Chinea on The Repair Shop who took on the task of restoring the oldest item he has ever worked on.

Much of the mangled cockerel’s metal work had eroded, while other parts were crumbling away and the post that supports it was not up to the job.

Father Leslie said: “The weathervane has been a local landmark for more than 200 years, since 1785.

“The oldest wall in our church dates back to 1077, so it’s incredibly historic.

“A local craftsman made the weathervane, but we had some bad weather a few months ago and it blew down.It’s been an important symbol of the church for a long time.

“When I went on the show, I was near my retirement.

All smiles - Father Leslie Drake and Colin Gregory with the restored cockerel Picture: RICOCHET/BBC

“Having the weathervane restored as the final effort in getting the renovation of the entire building done meant a great deal to me.

“I think of the weathervane as the cherry on top of the cake. The work that has been done is very good.”

However, Mr Chinea was nervous in taking on the task of repairing the cockerel.

He said: “I was quite anxious because it’s definitely the oldest thing I’ve ever worked on.

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“The history involved in it was quite daunting.

“The post had been snapped and broken, so I had various bits of welding to do to fix the strapping and get that all to fit.

“The weathervane had definitely been through the wars and I had to make it constructively sound.

“The tail was beyond that and had been condemned. His comb had been bent over and damaged after toppling over, while the tube that runs through his body had suffered.”

The episode aired on BBC One last night.

The Repair Shop continues on Wednesdays at 8pm on BBC One, or catch up on BBC iPlayer.