damaged former dockyard church wins top award

A Grade II* listed former church which was devastated by a fire has won a prestigious award.

Sheerness Dockyard Church, in Kent, which was transformed into a community facility, has been named UK Project of the Year by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The 19th Century neoclassical building underwent a major restoration which took more than 20 years after the blaze in 2001 and returned it to it's Regency glory.

The RICS judges said the "masterpiece" church has been "meticulously and sympathetically restored".

The church was completed in 1828 to a design by George Ledwell Taylor, surveyor to the Admiralty and a distinguished architect.

The £9.5m restoration project was completed in 2023.

The renovation was awarded £5.3m by The National Heritage Lottery Fund.

The facility now provides "much needed support for young people and new businesses", according to RICS.

Commenting on the winning project, the judges said: "Sheerness Dockyard Church has become a vibrant hub of activity encouraging social engagement and empowerment, uplifting a historically marginalised community and providing opportunities for growth and resilience in the future."

They said the fire-damaged ruin had been meticulously and sympathetically restored, prioritising the retention of original fabric from the Grade II* listed building and "ensuring the faithful restoration of its exterior to George Ledwell Taylor's 1828 designs".

The award was announced at a ceremony in London on Friday.