VIDEO: Never-before-seen views of Sabden

More than 60 people climbed to the top of St Nicholas’s Church spire in Sabden to take in a never before seen view of the village on Saturday morning.
GREAT VIEW: View down the valley from the spire at St Nicholas's Church Sabden.
Photo Ben ParsonsGREAT VIEW: View down the valley from the spire at St Nicholas's Church Sabden.
Photo Ben Parsons
GREAT VIEW: View down the valley from the spire at St Nicholas's Church Sabden. Photo Ben Parsons

The intrepid climbers reached the top of the 100ft spire by scaling ladders inside the scaffold surrounding the historic building. East Lancashire Newspapers’ photographer Ben Parsons headed off up the spire in the first group just after 9am to take pictures and video to record for posterity and said it gave a completely different aspect of the village and was a once in a lifetime experience to be able to see the village from that amazing vantage point.

By lunchtime 61 people had climbed the spire - some quickly coming back down again - the oldest person being former Sabdener Eileen Riley of Billington, who is 77. The church is currently closed while the church and spire are being repaired and contractors Lambert and Walker from Bamber Bridge agreed to let people take part in the spire climb to raise funds for the appeal to pay for the repairs. They expect to have raised around £1,000 from the day.