A medieval church which features a very rare carved doorway has been turned into a safe ruin by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. The unsafe Victorian roof of St. Peter's Church, Hasguard - out of use for over 25 years - has been removed and the walls made safe, allowing public access to the building for the first time in many years. The churchyard is still owned by the Representative Body of the Church in Wales, but the building itself has passed into Park Authority ownership. This transfer resulted from the authority's concerns about allowing the conversion of the church into a residence, following local comments about the graveyard, which remains in use. After consultations with numerous individuals and organisations, it was decided that the church should be made into a safe ruin. A Grade II listed building, St. Peter's has medieval origins, but was extensively restored in the Victorian period and again in the early years of the last century. Rob Scourfield, the National Park Authority's building conservation officer, knows the church well. "It is possible a church existed on the site in early Christian times, but the dedication to Peter suggests a Norman foundation or rededication," he said. "The nave is the earliest remaining part, dating from the late 12th or early 13th centuries. "Main points of interest include the rounded chancel arch and the barrel-vaulted south porch - both fairly typical of Pembrokeshire churches - and the large flat-topped double bellcote. The carved rood door is very unusual; nothing else like it survives in the county, or perhaps even nationally, so it is very significant. "Conservation to a 'safe ruin' is not the ideal option, but in this case - due to limited funding and the fact that the roof trusses were beyond repair and dangerous - it was the sensible alternative," Rob added. "Ideally, when churches or chapels contemplate closure, the authority is keen to work with their representatives to either retain them in use or find a sympathetic re-use." Huw John, of the Park's projects section, has overseen the work. "The slated roof and trusses, put on during restoration in the 1870s, were removed, the walls repaired where necessary and capped to prevent water penetration. We keep a regular check on the building and very recently the interior has been limewashed to help preserve the walls. "If the church had been left as it was, in disrepair and neglected, it would have deteriorated rapidly and the roof would eventually have collapsed, further damaging the structure," Huw added. "Regular maintenance will continue in the future and will include further repairs to the bellcote and windows." There are also plans for the interpretation of the building in the form of an information board.