Winston Churchill's hearse has been restored and is now available for funerals

The hearse used to carry Winston Churchill during his state funeral has been painstakingly restored and is being used for funerals in South Gloucestershire.

The historic vehicle has been owned by Bristol Memorial Woodlands, which is based near Thornbury, for around 20 years but was in need of repair to bring it back to its former glory.

The Austin Princess, registration number BLE 704B, carried Churchill’s body from Festival Pier in London to Waterloo Station through crowds of mourners at the State Funeral in January 1965.

The vehicle was stripped back and rebuilt by restorer Jo Burge Credit: Classic Marine Engines

Christopher Baker, founder of the Memorial Woodlands, said: "A lot of people love this country and I think he symbolised a love of this country, a love of freedom.

"I hope he would be happy to see a little bit of England being made into a more beautiful place which the general public can come and enjoy whenever they want."

The hearse was restored by Jo Burge of Classic Marine Engines in Suffolk.

He said: “It was a comprehensive overhaul that took us three years as we wanted everything to stay as authentic as possible and source all the correct parts.

Classic car restorer Jo Burge worked on the Austin Princess to bring it back to its former glory Credit: Neil Phillips Photo & Film Limited

"Really it ought to have been scrapped years ago. If it was not for the history, I don't think we would have seen a 1964 Austin Princess hearse actually last that long.

"It's a direct link to history. The thing works, it moves, it makes noise, it smells and it's a striking example of living history."

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