Iron Church gets a new lease of life (From The Bolton News)

Iron Church gets a new lease of life

4:47pm Wednesday 8th September 2010 in

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SINCE landmark building The Iron Church was reopened as a furniture centre, couples who were married there have been making nostalgic return visits.

Businessman Jaz Singh says he has had customers who returned to the building to have a look inside the former church, where they tied the knot.

The former Congregational Church, later to become a United Reformed Church, on Blackburn Road, was last used as an antiques centre after the final congregation worshipped there in 1990.

But since the antiques centre closed and the building was shut up, the elements — and even thieves — have damaged the well-known building.

When Mr Singh took over the lease of the Grade II listed sandstone building earlier this year he had to carry out £20,000 of repairs before he could open Iron Church Beds and Furniture.

He said: “I had to spend the money on repairing the roof because the lead had been stolen and had caused water damage inside the church.

“We spent a few weeks cleaning the inside up.

“And I’m glad we did because it’s such a beautiful building and quite rightly deserves to be seen by the public.”

The interior of the church is now home to a wide range of beds, lounge furniture, including sofas, chairs, dining tables, coffee tables, linen and homeware.

Mr Singh, who will be helped in the new venture by his brother Laki, said: “I have worked for many major companies and I was driving by this beautiful building and saw it was all boarded up. It was a bit of a shock when I saw the state of the roof and the interior but we spent time and money on getting it right.

“This is my first business and trade was slow starting off but has been picking up.”

Lots of people have started to come into the building to have a look at the church.”

Mr Singh plans to add kitchen displays and a small cafe later.