A church in Towyn has re-opened after a £60,000 project to replace the floor.

St Mary’s Church was closed for six weeks while the rotten floor was taken up and new flooring fitted.

It follows two and a half years of investigations and collaborative working to identify a solution, with the church working alongside the Aber-Morfa Mission Area, the Diocese of St Asaph and Church in Wales provincially to secure funding.

Sunday services have resumed in the main church after being temporarily relocated to a small vestry and a full programme of summer events can get underway.

The Vicar at St Mary’s the Reverend Janet Crane said: “We are delighted to have the church open and fully operational once again. It’s been a long process finding a solution to the rotting floor and ensuring we had funding in place to carry out the work. It was a real team effort. Now we can concentrate on ensuring the church is open and welcoming to everyone. We held our Summer Fayre last weekend and we look forward to a Teddy Bears Picnic on 12 August.”

Last month the church held a Pet Service for the first time in more than 20 years. Five dogs, one cat, a hamster and a ferret, along with their owners, came along.

Jan added: “The most troublesome was the hamster who insisted on kicking the sawdust out of its cage, all over our nice new floor! It was easily cleaned up though and we were delighted to welcome the local community back into church.”

Every Friday, the church is open for people to collect essential hygiene products, as part of a hygiene hamper project started during the Covid pandemic in 2020. In addition, a community pantry will be opening to help ensure local people have enough to eat.

St Mary’s Church in part of the Aber-Morfa Mission Area which includes churches and communities in Rhyl, Rhuddlan and Bodelwyddan. The Mission Area is one of 20 in the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales.