Builders at an historic church which is undergoing a £1 million makeover discovered a time capsule dating back to 1881.

A glass bottle containing local newspapers from that year and a letter from the minister were uncovered behind a memorial stone at Gillingham Baptist Church.

Also in the capsule was a message from Charles Haddon Spurgeon, an influential Baptist preacher who contributed financially to the building in Green Street.

The memento was placed initially in the old part of the place of worship and was moved when the newer church was built 130 years ago.

The glass was smashed in the excavation but Rev Stephen Greasley has retrieved the items to put into storage.

He said: "We will also add something that represents today, perhaps the design plans and a picture of the congregation.

"And this time we will be putting a sign up to say it's there. The papers were very local in those days, no big headlines."

Architects have taken four years to come up with a completely new look for the imposing building.

Among the most striking alterations will be replacing the old brick facade with a modern glazed frontage.

Comfortable chairs will replace old-fashioned pews which have been there since it opened in 1888.

Modern heating, lighting and sound systems are to be installed.

Meanwhile, worshippers will decamp to a ground floor room while the work, likely to last until the end of the year, is carried out.

Rev Greasley, said: “We are extremely excited to be starting this project.

"Quite some time ago we recognised the need to do something significant to make the buildings fit-for-purpose.

“We are a very busy church with lots of groups meeting throughout the week.

"We felt it was important to improve our facilities for the many people who currently use the premises, but also to create a more flexible space at the first floor level which would increase our capacity to accommodate other community organisations.

"Although there will be considerable disruption to groups during the building programme, we are convinced the end product will be a greatly improved resource for the community and a major investment into the town.”

Rev Greasley added: "We have managed to keep all the group meetings going despite the work and dust. We are on course to be finished for Christmas."

“It was lovely to see some old friends back with us.”

Generous gifts have made the scheme possible along with loans from the Baptist Union and the Baptist Building Fund.