ONE of Barrow's most prominent cultural gems days is getting ready to reopen to the public.

Furness Abbey has undergone years of restoration work to preserve the 500-year-old building, which was partially destroyed in 1537 during the English Reformation under the orders of Henry VIII.

A £650,000 project to stabilise the subsiding ruins of Furness Abbey has started in an effort to restore the historic site.

The project is the next step in a 10 year programme that will ensure the long term stability and safety of Furness Abbey’s presbytery, as well as the conservation of three other highly significant areas of the site, including the West Tower, East range and Infirmary.

Conservation work is currently in its final phase after grout was injected into the rubble-filled cavity between the walls which will greatly increase the structure’s stability.

Between 2012 and 2015 underpinning work took place to the north, south and eastern walls of the Presbytery, which has also underwent soft capping in a bid to prevent erosion in the walls.

Sally Wilson, properties curator at English Heritage, has been working on the site for the past six years.

She described it as 'incredibly rewarding'.

"It's a really special place to work in," she said.

"We're constantly discovering and learning new things and I'm so grateful to be working with a team like this.

"The most memorable part for me is seeing the scaffolding go up and being able to get up close with the monument.

"There's months and years of planning which go behind restoration and it's incredibly rewarding to see it all pay off.

"I'm excited to show the changes that have taken place since we closed to the public. People just absolutely love Furness Abbey and we're delighted to show visitors the progress we've been making."

Juliet Fellows-Smith, property manager at English Heritage, praised the team effort in restoring the historic abbey.

"Everyone has worked together to achieve something really tangible whilst using all our specialisms," she said.

"We've all worked together and used a different approach which has worked really well."

Furness Abbey is open to the public from Tuesday.