GRANGE United Reformed Church was celebrating 125 years of service and worship at the weekend with history displays.

The Kents Bank Road building – originally built as a Congregational Church – was open for viewing, teas and coffees were served and visitors could see a wide range of historical documents.

There were minute books, reports of deacons’ meetings, photographs and a roll of church members dating back to 1899.

The exhibition was in memory of Joyce Rawlins, a dedicated church supporter, who died last year. Donations were to split between St Mary’s Hospice at Ulverston and the Grange church.

The Lancashire Congregational Year Book for 1905 said the grange group was formed in 1891 – 125 years ago.

The foundation stone of the church was laid on September 15 in 1894 and it opened for services on August 22 in 1895, with seating for 330.

A newspaper report on the laying of the foundation stone said that from 1891 the members had been meeting in a wooden hall.

It also suggested that there were attempts from 1871 to get a Grange Congregation going. A plaque outside the church said it had been built, along with a vestry and lecture hall, for a total of £2,400.

The church was designed by E. H. Dawson and was built by James Garden, of Dalton. In 1972 the Congregational Church in England and Wales united with the Presbyterian Church of England.

Then in 1981 this was joined with the Churches of Christ to become the United Reformed Church of the United Kingdom.

There are more local history stories in the nostalgia section of the Evening Mail website at http://www.nwemail.co.uk/nostalgia