Works to conserve historic church supported by council

The reinstatement of the priest’s door, and remedial works to surrounding stonework, has provided an additional fire exit, addressing health and safety and accessibility concerns. This work has also improved the building’s connection with Church Square, and the wider Cultural Quarter.

Harborough District Council awarded £40,000 from its UK Shared Prosperity Funding towards the project. This capital funding will help safeguard an important heritage asset and enhance community engagement through improved infrastructure.

Cat Hartley, Director of Communities and Wellbeing, said: “The church is of great architectural and historical significance to Market Harborough, so we are pleased to be able to support this community project to reinstate the priest’s door and remedy stonework. We recognise a lot of people use the church so allocating funding to improve the building’s safety and accessibility is necessary and important.”

The Reverend Phil Bryson said: “We, at St Dionysius Church, are hugely grateful for the generosity of Harborough District Council, as well as the generosity and time of the Friends of St Dionysius, which has enabled the re-introduction of the priest's door. This door is a reminder of the historical door that once stood in its place, and it enhances the aesthetics of the vibrant Cultural Quarter. It will provide an important fire exit, helping us to keep worshippers and the local community safe when using our beautiful church - the town's oldest functioning building.”

St Dionysius Church, Market Harborough, is a Grade I listed parish church, noted for its architectural merit, within the Market Harborough Conservation Area. The church is one of four key heritage buildings in Market Harborough’s Cultural Quarter. The building is a space that is regularly used to bring the community together for events and is a focal point of the high street.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus