Drone pictures have revealed the progress being made to restore a historic church devastated by a fire.

Over the last three years, the once derelict Grade II-listed Sheerness Dockyard Church has been steadily returned to its former glory after it was heavily damaged in a huge blaze in 2001.

In 2020, work started on a multi-million pound project to regenerate the building, which was constructed in 1828.

It is being restored to its former glory thanks to the help of heritage plasterwork specialists Artisan Plastercraft.

Aerial images taken by Philip Drew now show the church with a new roof and a restored clock tower.

The goal was to restore and bring the landmark church back into use as a business incubator hub for young people.

It would see it transform from a roofless ruin into a thriving venue boasting an exhibition area, leisure, education and working spaces, offices, café and meeting rooms - all while ensuring the conservation of the remaining historical features of the building.

Michael Arney, of Artisan Plastercraft, previously said: “ It was a particularly satisfying project to be involved with and it is pleasing to know that the newly revitalised building - such an important asset to the area - is going to be put to excellent practical use.

“Our role in the project was to secure and tidy the lime plasterwork of the main transept arch and restore the window ledges internally.

"More specifically, we undertook a variety of tasks including conservation, restoration and replacement of lime plaster inside the church’s main hall, centred around the large archway at the western end, and applying lath and plaster to the internal window reveals.

“We found that areas of plaster had badly deteriorated and so our conservators had to remove any loose pieces, retaining and refixing where appropriate and restoring plaster where it was sound, consolidating and patch repairing where necessary.

He added: “Some decorative features, such as the arch plinth and sections of cornice, required more intensive restoration, which was achieved by taking a squeeze of similar or opposing mouldings and using these impressions to build up detail and sympathetically restore the plasterwork to its former glory.

“Whilst the interior has been completely renovated to suit its repurposing, much of the existing fabric has been stabilised and conserved as found, preserving what was left of the 1881 interior and its structure of cast iron columns.”

The area is of significant importance due to its long connection with the Royal Navy and the church as an architectural masterpiece.

It has been named as one of the most important buildings at risk in the south-east of England.

The restoration project benefited from a £4.2 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and additional major support from Historic England and a number of trusts, foundations and individuals.