ORGANISERS are gearing up to light a chain of beacons across Worcestershire.

The beacons are on village greens, castle battlements, church towers, farms, beaches, front gardens, car parks and mountain tops to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

A beacon chain was once a tool for communication but is now a symbol of unity.

At least 2,012 beacons will be lit across the UK and worldwide from 10pm on Monday, before the Queen lights the national beacon in London at 10.30pm.

In Worcestershire, beacon events include ones at Stanbrook Abbey, Callow End; Old Chequers pub, Crowle; Walsgrove Hill, Abberley; the Worcestershire Beacon, Malvern; and Little Witley Village Hall, Little Witley.

Andy Maginnis, a Crowle parish councillor, said: “The beacon is part of the jubilee celebrations at the Old Chequers.

“The beacon will be built by villagers on Monday morning and lit at 10.17pm.

"It will be part of a chain of beacons and the idea is that they will be visible to the next-nearest site so we are hoping that from where we are in Crowle we should have very good views of beacons on the Malvern and Clent Hills.”

Mr Maginnis said villagers decided to light the beacon, which will be five metres high and built from wooden pallets, after a similar event held for the royal wedding last year proved popular.

He said: “It was a great success and it involved the whole community.”

Beacons will also be lit at other county locations, including Hill Top Farm, Grafton Flyford; Clark’s Hill, Evesham; Pewcroft Farm, Knightwick; Tenbury Wells; Evesham Road, Pershore; Gordon’s Farm, Droitwich; Bennetts Hill Court, Evesham; a field in Rushock, near Droitwich; a field in Pebworth, near Evesham; Berrow Hill, Martley; Beacon Hill, Broadway; Elmley Castle, near Evesham; Cutnall Green and District Memorial Hall, near Droitwich; a field by Ombersley School, Droitwich; Stanford Church, Stanford Bridge, near Tenbury; and Hill Top Farm, Tenbury Wells.

Beacons were lit in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee, as well as in 1977 and 2002 for the Queen’s silver and golden jubilees.

• Grab a copy of the Worcester News tomorrow for a 40-page jubilee souvenir special.