A WHITEFIELD landmark that has truly stood the test of time will take centre stage later this month.

For Besses o' th' Barn United Reformed Church, which stands proudly where Bury New Road meets Barn Street, is 150 years old.

To mark the milestone, the congregation is to hold a series of events into the new year, starting with an anniversary afternoon celebration at the church at 2pm on Saturday November 14.

"Spirits are very high and we're looking forward to what will be a wonderful event," said church helper June Williams who is among a group of 10 volunteers organising the birthday events.

She continued: "We've been contacting people who used to come to the church who now live in various parts of the country and we've got people coming from as far off as Norfolk and Sussex."

The church was built in 1865 and was known as Besses Congregational Church. It changed its name in the 1970s when the UK Congregationalists and the Presbyterian Church of England merged to form the United Reformed Church.

The red-brick building and its slate roof, which is today a protected Grade 2-listed structure, was designed by Alfred Waterhouse, who favoured the gothic revival style.

His design was for a place of worship that could hold 823 people in a chapel.

The schoolroom was an immensely important asset for local children, with up to 120 attending lessons there regularly, along with 80 adults, in a classroom that could accommodate 600 people.

The foundation stone was laid in 1863 and the building cost about £3,700 to build.

It was another two years before work finished, though services took place in the chapel during construction.

The first minister was Alexander Anderson, who also preached at Stand Independent Chapel.

Between 1918 and 1939, there was a growth of clubs, such as girl guides, scouts and badminton, and in 1948, Ladies Weekend produced a pantomime on the Saturday night which has become an annual event to this day.

In 1970, the Tuesday gang was started up to look after the building, undertaking cleaning, decorating, and repairing, and still keeps the church in good order.

While the church building has held its own over the years, it needed major roof repairs at the turn of the century and the work took eight years before completion in 2010.

Today, the church is a thriving social hub, with a popular vocal group called the Monday Singers, brownies and guides, a social group and a Sunday service.

At the anniversary afternoon on November 14, there will be a performance from the Monday Singers and a historical insight into the church, followed by refreshments in the church hall for afternoon tea and a chat.

The weekend celebration will continue on November 15 with a Sunday service at 10.45 am, led by Reverend Stuart Nixon.