IT’S BLOOMING marvellous- a flower festival has come up roses for one Dorset village.

Visitors have been enjoying the sights and smells of the Moreton Flower Festival this bank holiday weekend.

The event draws around 2,000 people to the picturesque- and historic- village every year.

St Nicholas Church in Moreton is famous for its engraved windows, designed by Laurence Whistler after the original windows were blown out by a German bomb dropped in the Second World War. The village also boasts gardens and a tea room.

Organised by the Benefice - which includes Moreton, Crossways, Woodsford and Tincleton churches - the beautiful display of flowers at St Nicholas Church in Moreton will continue to be on display until Saturday, June 4.

And if the weather turns sour today, as it’s predicted to, you can still get your fix of flowers by heading to the church.

Event organiser Charles Cooper said: “This wonderful flower show is one of the most enduring and successful of its kind in the County. Today (Monday) we’ll have refreshments and stalls. We’ll be open from 10am until 4pm. And there’s no charge, entry is completely free with donations appreciated.”

He added: “We’ve had some lovely weather and lots of visitors. The church looks beautiful once again. It’s a great event, there’s a real synergy between the church, the tea rooms and the gardens here in Moreton and it’s an excellent time to visit the village. The wonderful displays are created by people of all ages, from all of the churches and it’s a real community effort. The flowers will remain in the church for a few days after Monday, so people will still be able to enjoy them.”

The church stands on medieval foundations but was rebuilt in the 18th century by the Frampton family, whose neighbouring mansion is depicted in a snowstorm in the church windows. Lawrence of Arabia died in a motorbike crash a few miles away and was buried in the village cemetery after a funeral in the church attended by dignitaries including Sir Winston Churchill.

It had conventional stained glass windows until a direct hit from a German bomber in 1940 – believed to have been intended for a nearby military base. It took 10 years to rebuild the church, and the windows were replaced with small panes of green glass.

Laurence Whistler was commissioned to replace them and spent the next 30 years working on designs of increasing complexity.

The church is hosting a ‘Right Royal Picnic’ in Moreton Gardens on June 25 with a live jazz band, games and a craft stall, from noon-4pm.

Entrance is free and all are welcome to come along and bring a picnic.

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