PARISHIONERS at St. George's Church, Brinsop are celebrating the return of a banner of Englands's patron saint just in time for the saint's day last week.

The banner shows a dramatic figure of an armour clad saint on a white charger piercing a green dragon like creature through the mouth.

Created for the church in 1906 by the celebrated church furnisher Sir Ninian Comper, the banner was losing the silk backing that supported it.

And generally showing its age

Now it has been lovingly restored by Kathleen Hollands and a team of Heritage Volunteers from the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts (NADFAS) who specialise in restoring needlework.

The now resplendent banner has been restored to its place in St. George’s church, Brinsop.

Just in front of the church is the well where, according to Herefordshire folklore, the dragon lived before his fatal encounter with the saint.

The banner, which cost £26 at the time it was made, is part of a series of fine adornments to the small church commissioned by the then proprietors of Brinsop Court, the Astley family.

These, together with a medieval carved panel of St.George, by the Herefordshire School of Carving, have made St. George's one of England's Thousand Best Churches according to the writer Simon Jenkins in his book of that name. St. George's Brinsop is open to visitors every day during daylight hours.

Based on information supplied by Katrina Morris.