A NEW carving has been installed in Holsworthy’s church, and the pair of praying oak hands (pictured below) holds the history of Holsworthy.

Carved by Chris Osborne, 67, it is made from an off cut of English oak, and hides a time capsule beneath its base.

Mr Osborne has created many carvings in the past, many of which can be seen displayed around the town. This latest one carries a plaque reading ‘Prayer brings hope’ and is on display for all to see in the church.

Mr Osborne left school and served as an apprentice with J E Stacey the builders in Holsworthy, where he learned his trade as a plumber. He worked for Stacey’s for nearly 50 years before his retirement.

One of his hobbies includes the crafting of walking sticks and crooks.

Mr Osborne’s other pieces of work include a carving of Jesus, made in 1980, dragging the cross behind him; an otter carving completed in 1999, which can be seen on display in the Holsworthy Information centre; and a carving of a deer, currently being displayed in Chilsworthy Village Hall.

Mr Osborne said: “I made the carving of Jesus with the cross around 35 to 36 years ago now and the one of the praying hands was finished in June of last year.

“When I finished it I offered it to the Parochial Council of the church and they then had to get permissions from the Exeter Diocsese for it to be put up in the church. This took a while of going back and forth but eventually the Exeter Diocese said ‘yes you can have it’ and the church said ‘thank you’ and installed it.

His latest project, completed in June, a carving of a pair of praying hands, was installed in Holsworthy church on Friday, October 7.

When asked why he had created the carvings Mr Osborne said: “I am a plumber by trade but carve bits and bobs every now and then — I am always making something.

“The praying hands came from an off cut of oak. It had previously been a lintel but I got it and used it for this and another two projects.”

There was also a project to create a ‘time capsule’, which has since been placed under the carving in Holsworthy Church of the praying hands and all relates to 2015.

Mr Osborne said: “There is a shelf underneath the carving. There is a recess in the top of the shelf in which photos of Holsworthy, information about the town and information about ten families, I think, have all been put on a memory stick and placed underneath the carving. You can’t see it but hopefully it will be there for years to come.”