THE majestic spire of St Luke’s Church towers above Heywood and can be seen is the first thing most visitors see on the approach to the town, from any direction.

An undisputable focal point for the town centre, the origins of the old chapel are thought to lie as far back as the early 1500s.

The simple building was rebuilt by Robert Heywood, of Heywood Hall, in about 1640 and records show that it has been regularly used for public worship since this time.

The building as it is today, with a height just short of 200 feet, was consecrated in 1862. It was designed by London architect Joseph Clarke and built predominantly using Yorkshire and Staffordshire stone, with marble for some of the columns inside.

The bells first arrived in 1863, while the parish war memorial, which contains the names of 53 servicemen who died during the First World War, was dedicated in 1921.

Among the church’s other notable features are several colourful stained glass windows, which have been commissioned and erected over the past 150 years.

Churchwarden Margaret Shackleton said: "There is no question about how important this church is to the town. You can see it from as far as the Ashworth Valley and parts of Bury and it is still a beautiful building despite all the work that needs doing.

"We are recruiting specialists while the initial work is carried out so that none of the valuable artefacts get damaged but things will be disrupted for a while.

"We are desperate for all the help we can get, Heywood cannot lose this church."