FATHER Matthew Cashmore from BBC's A Vicar's Life will be preaching at a Palm Sunday service which includes an ancient custom unique to villages in south Herefordshire.

The curate from Hereford who was seen on the popular BBC2 Friday night show is a visiting preacher at St Dubricius in Hentland on Palm Sunday - March 25.

The church holds an annual Pax Service, when Pax Cakes are distributed to all with the shaking of hands and the greeting, "Peace and good neighbourhood."

The custom, which is shared with the neighbouring parishes of Sellack and Kings Caple, dates back to 1484, when Thomas More, a wealthy vicar of Sellack, died, having left the sum of six shillings and eight pence in his will to provide, "Bread and Ale to be distributed to all and singular in the aforesaid churches for the good of my soul.”

The background to this appears to have been quarrelsome villagers and a desire that all enmity should be laid aside in order to prepare for the Easter Festival.

This will be the last service at Hentland before the chancel is dismantled to allow the conservation of the decorated plaster which was designed by the eminent Victorian architect John Pollard Seddon.

To allow full access to the plaster, the 1869 organ by J W Walker will be removed and restored.

The project, which is costing a little under £200,000, has been made possible by a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund of 67 percent of the total.

The service to which all are welcome, is at 3pm on Sunday.