MEMBERS of Four Marks and Medstead Rotary Club spent a fascinating afternoon high in the Hampshire sky watching a team of men hard at work on a remarkable project.

The Rotary members, as well as family and friends, were visiting The Vyne, a National Trust property near Basingstoke, where the entire roof of the Tudor palace is being renovated in full view of the visiting public. The project is costing £5.4m and is due to be completed within a few months.

Visitors are taken up by lift or by a 74-step staircase to an aerial walkway high above the roof of the building. The covered walkway encircles the entire property, so all aspects of the renovation operation are visible, as a team of experts remove all the tiles to replace the roof structure and tiles as required, and also rebuild the many chimneys.

A total of 71,000 tiles are being replaced, with replacements carefully sourced to ensure they match the centuries-old original tiles.

The aerial walk was an ideal way to study the way the roof had originally been built, and to watch skilled craftsmen at work restoring the historic roof structure. At the end of the tour, the party had a chance to ‘tag a tile’ so that the visit of Four Marks and Medstead Rotary was recorded for posterity on the restored roof of The Vyne.

While there, the party had an opportunity to tour the palace, said to be a favourite of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who stayed there in 1535, and also view the gardens, lakes and ancient woodlands, before rounding off the afternoon with a cream tea.

Lisa Hillan, who organised the visit, said a return trip was planned for next summer.

“It will be a chance to see the roof renovations completed, and another opportunity for some more culture and a cream tea at The Vyne,” she added.

Looking ahead, the club is preparing to host a new quiz night on December 2, starting at Medstead village hall at 7.30pm.

For teams of six to eight, although individuals are welcome, the proceeds to the quiz will go the Petersfield-based charity The Kings Arms, which supports local ‘young carers’ – youngsters from eight to 18 who help look after a family member with disability, illness or other problems.

Tickets, priced £12 per person, to include a chilli or curry meal and dessert, are available by calling Sally on 07743 405588 or e-mailing [email protected].