St Mary’s Church had been an active place of worship for over 900 years when in 2015, intensive restoration works began in an attempt to reclaim and preserve its history for even longer.
The Parish Hall had fallen into disrepair and the difficult decision was made to sell the Birkin town community hall and concentrate on providing a community space within the church. The money used from the sale of the town hall was used to enhance the church, including installing eco-friendly underfloor heating.
In 2015 the Church was closed to allow the construction and renovation work to begin.
The extensive works have turned a cold, damp church into the wonderful, warm and welcoming area we see and love today. Community events are taking place often and we hope to have future-proofed the church for generations to come. However, there is still work to do.
There were many interesting finds during the renovation, including a rare silver King Robert II half penny, a Saxon cloak pin, hidden burial tombs and two female Saxon skeletons who predated the church.
For a more in-depth look into the findings of the renovation, a booklet is available to buy from the church grounds.
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