A CHURCH in Tockholes which dates back to 1662 has completed a £12,000 renovation.

Work at the Tockholes United Reformed Church, whose current building was constructed in the 1880s, began in February and saw four pews at the back of the chapel removed and a partition and sliding doors put in.

A third of the chapel can now be turned into a meeting room when needed or opened up for weddings or big services.

A small kitchen has also been installed which the congregation can now use to make refreshments for the first time.

Secretary Kathleen Knowles, 79, who has been going to the church all her life, said: “It’s absolutely wonderful that the work has been completed and it will make a big difference to the church.

“The additions blend in with the rest of the church so well and nobody would know that they are brand new.

“It’s great to have the extra space that we can use more effectively and I think it will only benefit the church. During the winter we can close the doors as well so we can keep the main chapel warmer than we have been able to in the past.

“To start with, we were not going to have too much done but because the joiner was so good, we kept on adding more and more jobs.” Church elder Marion Isherwood, 75, who has attended the church for over 30 years, said: “It’s great that we now have this space in the building that we can use in so many different ways.

“I think that the children and families in the congregation will really benefit from having a space that they can use that can be separate from the main chapel.”

The project was also co-ordinated by Marlene Jump, Ann Swanton and the Rev Terry Young.