HAWORTH Parish Church is due to close for up to three months to allow for the next phase of a £1.25 million restoration programme to take place.

Custodians of the church say the historic Main Street building is likely to be shut from at least late April or early May and may remain closed until late July.

Alternative arrangements have been put in place to accommodate services and other functions.

The priest in charge at the church, the Rev Peter Mayo-Smith, said the temporary closure was mainly planned to enable workers to fix the building’s leaking north roof.

The same phase of the project should also include installing disabled access at the church’s north entrance, a toilet for people with disabilities and kitchenette facilities.

“This is costing at least £250,000,” he said.

“We’re expecting the church to be closed from late April or early May, all of June and possibly most of July, though we’ll have a much clearer idea once the tenders have come back.

“Fixing the north roof will mean the church is finally water-tight. It hasn’t been as bad as the south roof was, but during the heavy rain we’ve had recently we’ve still had some water coming in.

“It’s good to know we’ll be able to remove all the buckets!”

Mr Mayo-Smith added: “If we’re having a disabled toilet fitted, we want to make sure people with disabilities can get into the building.

“The north entrance has two very heavy wooden doors that need to be held open to help people in, so the idea is to have a button fitted so people in wheelchairs can get in by themselves.”

He added the closure will be necessary while contractors install and work from scaffolding, but noted the church will continue to operate from alternative nearby venues.

“We’ll have use of the Old School Room, just over the road, and if we can’t access that building at any time, we’ll join up with the services at St James’s Church in Cross Roads,” he added.

Mr Mayo-Smith explained while the north roof work is the last measure needed to keep out the water, there are still plenty of additional improvements planned for the church’s interior.

“The whole building needs redecorating inside,” he said.

“We need to take a look at the electrics, put right the areas where there has been water damage in the past and we’d also like to explore the possibility of having a PA system.”

He emphasised the appeal to fund the church’s refurbishment is still ongoing, and that people can visit haworth church.co.uk for details about how they can donate.