THE £120,000 improvement project at East Dean Church is complete as supporters gather to celebrate.

An open day was held on August 28 where Reverend James Pitkin thanked everyone for their support for the much-needed restorations.

The celebration included flower arrangements and outside, a bee trail gave visitors the opportunity to explore the churchyard which is registered as a Grow Wild location for its wild orchids.

The refurbishment project was funded by the G&K Boyes Trust and the work was carried out by Mouldings of Salisbury under the supervision of architect Fiona Hudd.

A display of photos was on show at the celebrations to demonstrate the changing state of the church building over the last 150 years.

Refurbishments were done in 1895 and again in the 1940s but Reverend Pitkin said that the building has “never been in a better state” than it is now.

The initial work included new drainage to resolve damp problems inside the church and removing inappropriate cement render. Structural problems were revealed along the way but were fixed and a new render of lime mortar was added followed by lime wash coats of paint.

The work started in autumn of 2020, but drying time was needed for the render which meant it was not finished until August 2021.

Some services have continued throughout this time and when Covid-19 restrictions allowed, services were held inside amidst dust and pews kept under plastic covers. The Christmas Carol Service went ahead but was held outside in the rain.

Once builders had finished, volunteers from East Dean and the surrounding villages came together to clean the church and tidy the churchyard.