From the outside St Mark’s Church is an imposing building, a landmark in Gillingham town centre.

Inside, the church, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, is a welcoming haven to everyone from international students to recovering addicts, to young families and pensioners.

The Rev Saju Muthalaly is about to complete his first year in the parish having moved to Gillingham from the Lake District.

Although the parishes are worlds apart in terms of community and appearance, Mr Muthalaly said he, his wife Katy and their four children love it here and feel at home.

Mr Muthalaly, who took over from the Rev Peter Guinness who retired in the summer of 2014, said: “You could say it’s very different. There is a great deal of low self-esteem, not personal but as a community as a whole.

“Some people don’t have a good word say about the place. But there is a great deal going for it.”

St Mark’s attracts an average congregation of about 200 of all ages, ethnicity and social backgrounds.

Since arriving in Gillingham, Mr Muthalaly has started SPLAT – Special People Loved and Treasured, a meeting group for young families.

The church also holds regular food bank collections and a recovery clinic for drug addicts and alcoholics.

The congregation includes international students from all over the world who attend the nearby universities and a chaplain is based at the University of Greenwich.

Mr Muthalaly said: “We are unique in that we are right in the town centre and tend to get people dropping in.

“We play an important part in integrating students into the community and have set up a Sunday lunch club where they are invited into people’s homes for a meal. Both sides get a lot out of this.

“The thing I probably like the most about St Mark’s is the diversity. We get people from all walks of life here.”

Mr and Mrs Muthalaly, both 35, have four young children, Zephaniah, six, Zipporah, five, Abraham, three and Jonah, two.

The vicar added: “The church and community are very special to us.

“We have all settled in and been made to feel very welcome.”

St Mark’s was consecrated by the Bishop of Rochester on April 24, 1866. At the time Gillingham was little more than a fishing village clustered around St Mary Magdalene Church and Gillingham Green.

Queen Victoria was on the throne, the American Civil War was in full swing and the Napoleonic Wars were over. The stage was set for the British Empire to expand and with that came the growth of the Royal Navy, especially at Chatham Dockyard.

Gillingham and Chatham grew at a phenomenal rate with railway stations being built at both towns.

The increasing population of Gillingham needed spiritual care and all denominations were looking at establishing themselves in what had now become a small town.

The St Marks’s site was bought by the Lock family for £237. A 200ft bell tower was included on the original plans which would have stood where the main entrance is now but it is thought the Army may have objected to the plan because it would have been in its line of fire.

The design is typical of its era with five arches on each side of the nave.

Wooden pews were replaced by separate chairs and carpets were laid throughout during refurbishment in 1983.