BRIDGWATER’S St Mary’s Church held a celebration service to mark the completion of its £1million refurbishment.

The historic landmark in the centre of town had been closed for just over a year before reopening its doors in July.

On Saturday the Bishop of Bath And Wells Rt Rev Peter Hancock joined the Rev Trish Ollive for the celebration service in front of a congregation which packed church.

There were also songs and music from the St Mary’s School choir and the Salvation Army band, and the Bridgwater Junior Sea Cadets team also attended. Bridgwater Choral Society led the singing. 

The service was a celebration of the completion of a major project to transform the inside of the church, making it more accessible to the public with the aim of making it once again a hub for the community.

The pews have been taken out, with some put back in pristine condition, while the new floor plan creates a more ‘flexible space’ in the centre of the church.

Complications were added to the project when a number of vaults were found underneath the floor which led to the price of the project going up by a staggering £130,000.

The vaults included scattered bones which date back to the Victorian era.

Churchwarden Adrian Patten said: “We had no idea, there are no blueprints for the church that date back that far. Archaeologists had to be brought in and it all took extra time and money.”

He hopes the changes will allow the church to host more events.

He said: “We want community groups to use the space here, whether that is putting on concerts, hosting food and drink fairs. We want to make the church an active hub for the community.”

As part of the refurbishment, under-floor heating and new lighting has been installed and the area has been made more accessible for disabled people.

The church is open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, Saturdays from 10am to 2pm, and on Sun