The reflooring of Andreas Church has been completed ’in record time’, taking less than a month to complete.

The 200-year-old flagstones had deteriorated to an ’unsafe state’ and replacement had become the only option.

The original stones have been donated to Manx National Heritage for use in the island’s monuments.

Waveney Jenkins, one of the volunteers who helped with the restoration, described it as ’hard and dirty work’ with the team from Callister Construction needing to bring in a mini digger to ensure that the new floor was properly flat and level.

She added: ’Within a few days an indescribable chaos of concrete, mud, machines, wires everywhere was turned into a church - all polished clean and glowing, and happy faces on all sides.’

At a special service attended by congregations from all the churches of the north, the work was blessed, and the font (which also had to be removed and replaced) reconsecrated.

Mrs Jenkins said: ’The best bit from my point of view is that many people were very uncertain, even against, what we did - but kindly only expressed their views privately; but afterwards all came up to say how happy they now were with how it has turned out.’

’The church has a new lease of life, and it is hoped will welcome many through its doors over the next 200 years or more.’

The funds for the work were donated by residents of the village, who could then dedicate a flagstone to someone they wanted to remember.

These dedications will form a memorial book, which will also include a section on the work carried out, and which will be on display in the church.

The original stones have been donated to Manx National Heritage for use in the island’s monuments.