KEGS will replace pews next month as St Mary’s Church in Witney hosts a beer festival to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The festival, organised by Witney Round Table, will take place on Monday, June 4, and will raise funds for charities and the church’s restoration appeal.

The Wychwood Brewery, based in Witney, will provide nine of the festival’s 12 barrels, with the other three from White Horse Brewery. There will also be cider, soft drinks and live music.

The Rev Toby Wright, rector of St Mary’s, said: “Clearly the Jubilee is a unique event in the life of the nation and we want to mark that.

“The church is entirely committed to being a part of the community, as it has been for at least 800 years, and we think this is a great way of us having good community fun and celebrating and toasting Her Majesty.”

He added: “Churches have always been involved in brewing and we know from the Bible that Jesus enjoyed a good drink, but we haven’t quite cracked turning water into wine and will leave that to the Wychwood Brewery.

“We want people to have a great time, celebrate a great day in the life of the nation and raise money.”

The 13th century church is undergoing a £2m restoration campaign with the first phase – £300,000 repairs to the roof – completed in December 2010.

The second phase, to replace the pews and fit underfloor heating at a cost of about £600,000, was launched last year by Princess Anne.

The beer festival will also raise cash for Witney Round Table’s chosen charities this year, including SpecialEffect, Buttercross Scout Group, Broadhill Pre- School and the Oxfordshire Playbus.

Round Table member James Mills said: “We are hoping for lots of people to come and enjoy the different range of beers and raise lots of money.

“As part of the restoration and renewal of St Mary’s, the parish has a vision for making the space in the church much more available to the community.

“We started doing this by hosting such events as concerts as part of the Witney Music Festival, exhibitions and charity balls.”

The beer festival will take place at the church in Church Green from noon to 10pm.

It is part of the town’s Jubilee celebrations and is on the same day as Witney Lions Club’s beacon-lighting ceremony on The Leys. The event will run from 7pm to 11pm with three hours of live music, children’s rides, beer from the Wychwood Brewery and a pig roast.

The beacon, part of a chain around the country, will be lit at 10.15pm and a big screen will show the Queen lighting the final beacon in London at 10.30pm.