Historic parish sees record visitors

The recent Heritage Open Weekend saw an unprecedented number of visitors to one of Knowsley's most historic buildings.

Prescot Parish Church, whose steeple dominates the town's skyline, is currently the only Grade 1 listed building in the borough. And up to 150 people came through its doors to savour its centuries-old beauty last weekend.

The Heritage Open Weekend gives visitors an opportunity to see inside buildings that at other times would be closed to the general public. Hundreds of buildings nationwide took part this year, but Prescot Parish was the only of Knowsley's buildings to open for the increasingly successful event.

Previous years had seen a maximum of two dozen people in attendance, so the increase of several hundred percent this year was greeted enthusiastically by organisers local historian Betty Brown and Arts in Prescot director Robert Howard.

(Photo: Church interior, from the collection of Alec Wallace)