It was once home to perhaps the most famous female vicar of all.
Yet not even the Vicar of Dibley is able to convince the residents of a seaside town that its parish church should have a woman as a vicar.
St Fimbarrus Parish Church in the Cornish town of Fowey has not had a vicar for four years, but despite Church of England laws allowing female vicars, the local church council has banned them from even taking up the role.
The decision of the 800-year-old parish church also comes despite the town being home to Dawn French, the 65-year-old actress and comedian best known for her role as Geraldine Granger in the BBC's television series, The Vicar Of Dibley, for 15 years.
The General Synod, the Church of England’s legislative body, voted to ordain women as priests in 1992, and ordinations began two years later. In 2014, it voted to allow women to be ordained as bishops for the first time. However, it is up to each individual parish’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) to decide who will lead their congregation.
Fowey’s PCC passed a resolution not to have women vicars in January 2022. Yet the row was reignited on Wednesday, as the nation marked International Women’s Day, and as it emerged that the church still does not have a vicar.
The Rev.d Angela Berners-Wilson, the first woman to be ordained as a Church of England priest described the decision as a “shame”.
She told The Telegraph: “It seems a shame that they are still without a vicar as they don’t want a woman as Priest in Charge - that is their right under Church-agreed legislation.”
She added: However, at least they do accept women’s priestly Ministry which is something!”
It is understood that the decision to ban women vicars comes after a small group of locals reportedly said that they would quit the church unless it was run by a man.
One resident, who didn't want to be named, told the local media: “A prominent resident of Fowey used to be Dawn French, well known for playing the lead role in The Vicar of Dibley.
“So you might think the local church would be familiar with lady clerics and the associated comedy.”
Carol Carruthers, Church Warden, said on behalf of Fowey Parish Church: “As an evangelical church we look to the Bible for all matters of faith. The Bible is very clear on equality – all are equal.
“The Bible, written 2,000 years ago, was ahead of its time in its progressive attitude to women. There is, however, debate over the roles women play within the church. The church council has agreed a compromise position where we will both welcome women priests to teach the bible faithfully each Sunday and lead communion, but seek an overall male priest in charge.
“We appreciate this can be difficult to understand looking from the outside into the church, but would robustly defend that this position is not sexist, is widely established in the worldwide church, and accommodates all views in the membership of our church without exclusion.”
French bought a Grade-II listed mansion in Fowey with her then-husband, Sir Lenny Henry, for £2.3 million in 2006.
She remained in the home after their divorce, and married her second husband, Mark Bignell, in 2013. In 2021 she sold it to Welsh professor and scientist Sir Christopher Evans for £6.6 million.
