A £250 reward has been offered for the return of a missing 12th century heart burial church stone with historical links to the family of Monty Python star Michael Palin.

The stone, which has mysteriously disappeared from St Mary’s Church in Linton, near Ross-on-Wye, is said to have been brought to the church by the film and TV star’s great-grandfather, Rev Edward Palin, who was vicar there for 38 years in the Victorian era.

Heart burial stones were used to hold a dead person’s heart, and knights who died on the Crusades some 800 years ago were often commemorated in this way, as their bodies could not be brought home.

Churchwarden Liz Denbigh said it was understood in the village that Rev Palin had a great interest in the Knights Templar order, established in 1139, and that he acquired the relic during his time as vicar.

“When a man died during a crusade, it was obvious that the body could not be brought back home, but the corpse’s heart was,” she said.

“The heart was then buried inside a small coffin, which was marked with ornate stonework and became known as a heart burial stone.

“The stone is likely to be an artefact acquired by Rev Palin and dates from the 12th century, around 1150.”

West Mercia Police have issued an appeal for the return of the stone, which was last seen on Boxing Day, while a member of the parish church council has also offered a reward for its safe return.

“To us the stone has a large historic significance,” added Liz. “We are hoping that it’s gone missing as part of mischief making and it is now being used as a stone ornament.

“Hopefully, the publicity the stone has received means it is returned to us shortly.”

A police spokesperson added: “This rare religious item was last seen on Boxing Day at its normal location by the west door of the church.  

“The burial stone is about one foot in diameter and some two inches thick. 

“It has a single prominent cross carved into the stone, with a smaller “tailed” cross in the centre, and it is believed the stone originally marked a burial.”

Rev Palin, who died aged 77 in 1903 and is buried in the churchyard, left his mark on the village in many ways, and was celebrated at a special service at St Mary’s in 2015 - the 150th anniversary of his induction as vicar.

He was behind the building of Linton Village Hall as the village school in 1872, the renovation of the church, the creation of the vicarage and the installation of a clean water supply for villagers.

Anyone with information about the heart burial stone’s whereabouts is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 95S of 1 January 2019, and to ask for the information to be passed on to  Neil Darley of Crime Bureau North, Battlefield, Shrewsbury.