A FLAT pack church which dates back to the Victorian era and served a Herefordshire village for nearly a century has been restored to its former glory.

The corrugated iron church originally costing £70 served the community of Bringsty near Bromyard between 1891 and 1988, before it fell into disuse.

It was rescued, rebuilt and rededicated at Worcestershire based Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings in 1996 before an extensive programme of repair and refurbishment work of the church took place, which is now near completion.

The outside of the building has been repainted and restored it to its original colour and the bell tower, which had fallen into disrepair, is back to full working order

Chris Everall, of Avoncroft Museum said: "The church is unusual in that it was delivered as a ‘flat pack’ and transported two and a half miles uphill from Brockhampton railway sidings to Bringsty Common.

"Churches such as these, with a wooden frame and corrugated iron cladding, were widely used throughout the British Empire towards the end of the 19th century and came in kit form to be assembled in places as far afield as the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand.

"Local residents often called it the ‘Iron Church’ or ‘Tin Tabernacle’. As a dedicated rather than consecrated church, Bringsty could host baptisms but could not be used for weddings or funerals.

"The church is now part of Stoke Prior parish and regularly hosts wedding blessings and seasonal celebrations such as harvest festivals and Christmas carol services."