WORKS are currently underway to restore the front of a historic church in Cirencester to its former glory.

The church on Coxwell Street has been the home of the town’s Baptist congregation for over 150 years and previous buildings owned by the Baptists have stood on the same site since 1651.

Speculating on the last time the building had been cleaned Pastor Matt Frost suggested that it must have been decades.

He said: “It’s been a very, very long time. Some of what’s on there looks like soot damage so it is going back to the 50s.”

The cleaning of the church has been funded by donations from the congregation and is part of an effort to spruce up the building before putting it up for sale.

Although the congregation would like to keep the building they are looking for a space that can hold their ever expanding attendance, which has outgrown their old church.

Matt said: “It’s a good problem to have.”

Plans for the move are still in the early stages and the group are open to anything from a larger existing building to creating their own space.