A VICAR who is one of the most familiar faces in Wanborough is hanging up his dog collar after more than 35 years of services.

The Rev Robin Cardwell, who has been the vicar of St Andrews Church for 11 years, is retiring from the church at the age of 64.

He is also the vicar for All Saints in Liddington, St Swithun’s in Hinton Parva and St Mary’s in Bishopstone, and said that although he is retiring he will probably hold occasional services in the future.

“They do say vicars are never allowed to retire. I expect sooner or later I will find myself back in the ministry, even if it is a very occasional service,” he said.

“Vicars have more and more churches to cope with so retired vicars are quite sought after.”

Mr Cardwell and his wife, Linda, will be moving from the Wanborough vicarage to Shrivenham and he said he will miss the community.

“As a vicar in a rural parish you have a privileged position. People get to know you because I take weddings, funerals and baptisms and I go into school and take assembly,” he said. “You get to be known and you turn up at village events like fetes and shows.

“Linda and I have enjoyed sharing the life of the four churches and villages in this beautiful part of Wiltshire.”

He was formerly in the Derry Hill Parish, near Calne, before moving to Wanborough in December 2000.

“It’s probably because of increasing age, but I have found the job of vicar here harder than any other job I’ve done. But it has also made me realise how much hard work is done in our parishes by a large number of volunteers,” he said.

“The vicar may be important to the running of a parish, but without all that voluntary involvement, church life simply could not exist. So thank you to all of you for what you have given and done.”

It has not been decided who will replace Mr Cardwell but Sandy Railton, of Wroughton, has offered to take a lot of the services, and conduct weddings and funerals. The parish will also be helped by John Godfree, Stuart Fisher, Tony Knapp and Beth Brown.

“In the years I have been vicar here, our four churches have suffered the same decline that is affecting the wider church,” said Mr Cardwell. “Smaller numbers at our services, with the same work load being done by a smaller number of people.

“Many Christians who live in our villages choose, for good reasons, to attend more popular churches in Swindon and around.

“That, no doubt, will continue, though it would be wonderful if more people could, on occasion, support your local church.”