Restoration work and earthquake repairs have been completed on Canterbury's oldest church, and will reopen its doors to the public today.
St Bartholomew's Anglican Church before the earthquake Photo: Supplied
St Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Kaiapoi has undergone almost a year of earthquake repairs and restoration work.
The church has been operating since 1855, and was designed by Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort, one of the most prominent architects of the day.
The repairs cost almost $1 million, and were covered by an insurance payout, fundraising and donations from the Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Building Trust and the Lottery Grants Board.
The work included moving the church to adjacent red zone land in order to install new foundations, before moving it back again.
The building is one of 290 buildings held in trust by the Church Property Trustees.
St Bartholomew's Church will reopen to the public from Saturday, and a church service and re-opening blessing will be held at 10am on Sunday.
