AN HISTORIC church has been restored to its former glory.

More than £160,000 has been invested in St Catherine’s Church in Horwich to restore brickwork, pointing, roofing and the fine terracotta features at the west end of the building.

The Heritage Lottery provided a grant of £133,000 and Viridor Credits Environmental Company provided two grants through the Landfill Communities Fund — one of the £20,000 towards new lighting and £10,599 for roof repairs.

The vicar, Rev Michael Behrend said: “We’re really pleased to have completed this project with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Viridor Credits.

“This building has been an important symbol of the local community for over 100 years and it is great to know that we are a step closer to preserving it for another century.”

As well as carrying out essential conservation work, the project has included the installation of energy efficient LED lighting to save hundreds of pounds a year in electricity costs.

New photographic displays and a free guide leaflet will allow visitors to enjoy more of the heritage and architecture of the building.

People can find out more about the church’s history on its website.

The church was opened in 1902 to provide for the needs of the many new workers and their families who arrived following the opening of the Horwich Loco works, which saw the number of inhabitants in the village increase from 3,761 in 1881 to 12,850 in 1891.

The foundation stone was laid on October 2, 1897.

Church officials say the building continues, alongside St Catherine’s CE school, to be a focal point for the local community and is used by several community groups.

Gareth Williams, funded projects manager at Viridor Credits, said: “Viridor Credits is delighted to share in the vision of the church in providing a welcoming community space.”

The church has a Children’s Sunday Club.

It works together with other local Anglican churches as part of the Horwich and Rivington team ministry.

The church building is used by a number of community groups including a weekly Toddler Group.

For more information on the church visit www.bhrmp.co.uk/st-catherines-horwich

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