THE Bishop of Crediton the Rt Rev Nick McKinnel blessed and formally opened a post office in St Mary's Church in Throwleigh last Thursday.

The tiny village lost its sub-post office and shop in 2013 — now the church stepped in to offer to host the vital service for villagers.

With the support and enthusiasm of local villagers and by removing some of the pews, the ancient building has been adapted to incorporate the Post Office and make the church more accessible for community use.

Team Rector of the Whiddon Mission Community the Rev Paul Seaton-Burn said: 'We see it as a really good way of saving services for this small rural community and it promotes use of our church building, which otherwise can be empty for most of the week.'

The Rt Rev Nick McKinnel said that his first-ever paid job was working for the Post Office, dealing with Christmas mail in Exeter.

Bishop Nick said: 'As I stand here in this beautiful church in Throwleigh, I think of three 'comms' — the first is commitment.

'One of the things that the Post Office and the church have in common is their commitment to the rural areas and to villages like Throwleigh.

'Throwleigh may seem like the centre of the universe to some but it is still small!

'The Post Office still delivers here and the parish church continues to serve the community.

'The second is communication. Both the church and the Post Office are in the communication business.

'The Post Office continues to take our letters, and we would not have much of the New Testament without the letters of St Paul.

'The third is community. In my experience, the Post Office is not just a place to go to buy a stamp but the hub of the community.

'People go there to chat and find out exactly what's going on in the community. The church itself is also a hub.

'It seems to be a very happy marriage of the church and the post office.

'Postmaster Alex Hill told me what a difference it makes to the community here and I am delighted to be here today to bless it.'

The Post Office will be open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and as well as the postal services, villagers can also enjoy a cuppa and cake and put in their grocery orders with the sub-postmaster who also happens to run a local shop.