Historic church gateway to be fixed after being knocked down by BBC van

Work to repair the damaged gateway of one of Scotland’s oldest churches is due to begin nearly ten months after it was knocked down by a BBC van during filming.

The stone pillar and iron gate of St Mary’s Parish Church, in Haddington, were damaged by the van last September when the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra were performing in the cathedral-sized church.

The concert, which was part of the Lammermuir Festival, is understood to have been recorded for broadcast.

The turret of the pillar and gate panels have been left lying cordoned off on the pavement outside the 700-year-old church since the incident.

East Lothian Council said it submitted an insurance claim but has had to wait for confirmation before work can be carried out to repair the damage.

A spokesperson said: “The damage at St Mary’s walls/gate occurred on the weekend of 18/19 Sept 2021 and was caused by a BBC van.

The council provided details to the insurers and has been waiting for confirmation.

“This has now concluded with work due to start on restoration and repair later this month and expected to be completed by end of June.”

St Mary’s Parish Church is the longest in Scotland measuring 206 feet from east to west and took nearly 100 years to build.

It is where reformist John Knox, who grew up in the town, trained as a priest.

The Lammermuir Festival is an annual summer event which sees classical concerts and performances take place across East Lothian in a variety of stunning locations.

A spokesperson for the BBC said the van was being used by contractors at the time of the incident.

He said: “The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was playing at the Lammermuir Festival.

“It is understood discussions between insurers for the contractor which manages a vehicle on behalf of the BBC and the council are continuing.”