A STAINED glass window from St Michael's Church in Minehead is set to receive worldwide recognition after being featured on one of this year's Christmas stamps.

The Royal Mail has chosen to tell the nativity story through characters depicted in stained glass windows from selected churches across the UK in its set of seven seasonal stamps launched this week.

Minehead's contribution is the 56p stamp and features Joseph, a detail from a window by prolific artist and designer Henry Holiday.

Designer Andrew Ross researched hundreds of photographs of stained glass windows before deciding on the final set of images from the 19th century.

Those chosen are all by three artists associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement which pursued visions of a medieval world of chivalry, craftsmanship and beauty.

Three of the stamps are by Holiday, who spent time at the studios of artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones, designer of the Wise Man stamp, while the fifth is by William Morris.

The collection also includes two larger format stamps which feature the Madonna and Child and the Angel.

The vicar of Minehead the Rev Simon Lloyd admitted that he had known the St Michael's window would be featured for some time but had been sworn to secrecy.

"The Royal Mail contacted me in the spring to take a photograph of the window but obviously we didn't know then whether we would be chosen.

"It's brilliant and I am very pleased - I just hope people buy the stamp now."

Mr Lloyd said both St Michael's and St Andrew's in the town were lucky to boast a number of fine stained glass windows.

But the congregations are faced with having to fund a £36,000 restoration of a Charles Kemp designed window in St Andrew's.

Featuring the Crucifixion, the 19th century window is in urgent need of repair and will mean churchgoers embarking on a massive fundraising appeal in the new year.