Victorian oak pews in a medieval church have been saved from removal in a £1 million make-over.

The newly-elected parochial church council of St Dunstan’s, Cranbrook, ended months of controversy which has divided churchgoers.

In a surprise move, the vicar, the Rev Martin Burrell, voted with the majority to withdraw a request for underfloor heating and the removal of the pews in a two-year pilot project many feared would be permanent.

The much-admired pews had been made by a craftsman from the area using Wealden oak.

PCC vice-chairman and campaigner Anne Marley said: “I hope the decision will bring back a lot of people who left because they feared what would happen to the church.”

See this week's Weald edition of the Kent Messenger for the full story.