End residents have been left baffled after the disappearance of the 150-year-old weather vane from the roof of St. Crispin’s Church.
The iron cockerel, which has stood watch over the town since the 1870s, was noticed missing on Monday morning when the vicar, Reverend Paul Linton, looked up to check the wind direction and saw only bare sky.
“At first I thought it had blown off in the storm,” he told The End Times. “But there’s no sign of it on the ground, and the fixing bolts are cleanly undone. Whoever took it either brought a ladder—or wings.”
The loss has left locals both puzzled and upset. “It’s part of our skyline,” said shopkeeper Brenda Cole. “When I walked into town, I’d always glance up to see which way the cockerel was pointing. Now I feel a bit lost without it.”
Others took a lighter view. Retired postman Alan Briggs joked: “Maybe it got tired of spinning and flew off to join the pigeons. Can’t blame it.”
The weather vane, made of wrought iron and gilded in the 1920s, was recently valued at several thousand pounds. Police have confirmed they are investigating its disappearance, describing it as “a targeted removal.”
Council heritage officer Emily Reeves urged whoever took the vane to return it. “It’s not just a piece of metal. It’s part of End’s history,” she said.
For now, St. Crispin’s tower looks strangely bare against the skyline. The Reverend Linton remains hopeful. “If anyone sees a golden cockerel in a shed, a pub garden, or on eBay, please let us know. The town would dearly like it back.”
