St Paul’s Church is marking its 200-year anniversary.

Next week, the church will celebrate by hosting a hog roast and other activities in the grounds on August 18.

There will be floral displays in the church, as well as an exhibition of photographs featuring views of the church and South Ramsey, dating back to the Victorian era.

The church’s historic silverware and other artefacts, which are normally stored in the Manx Museum, will also be on display.

All of this will be available to view from 2pm.

However, the church will be open for anyone to visit from 10am until 5.30pm from August 18 to 20.

St Paul’s Church was built when the town’s population of 1,500 had grown too big for the chapel at Ballure.

Planning for the church began in 1820 and it was completed in 1822, with Bishop Murray consecrating it on August 18 that year.

In 1830, the gallery at the west end of the church was built to accommodate the growing number of children attending and that was followed in 1844 with substantial extensions at both sides of the church to form the north and south wings, which had galleries above and greatly increased the seating available for worshippers.

During the late 1960s, much of south Ramsey was demolished and redeveloped, including St Paul’s Church Hall, but the church remained unscathed and saw the addition of a new hall within its grounds, which opened in 1972.

The church remains both as a reminder of this part of Ramsey’s Georgian and Victorian past and as a place of Christian Worship that continues to serve south Ramsey as a venue for both religious and civic celebrations.

Martin Barrow, lay chair of the Parochial Church Council, said: ‘The church remains a focal point for the local community who continue to worship here and to use it to celebrate significant milestones such as baptisms and weddings.

‘Many organisations use it as a venue for special services and concerts and we want to use these days of celebration to extend a welcome to our whole community to come and visit us and enjoy the activities and displays on offer.’

On August 21, the Bishop is leading a celebratory eucharist at 10am, to which everyone is welcome, and this will be followed by refreshments in the church hall.

The church will then be open for people to visit from 2pm until 4.30pm that Sunday afternoon.