A SWINDON church has undergone a renovation and worshippers can now access the downstairs pews – on a massive slide.

Pattern Church was bought by the Diocese of Bristol in 2018 and has been going through a big redevelopment programme.

The works finished at the height of the pandemic and so the building has not had an opportunity to be put to full use until now.

The formal entrance to the church in Penzance Drive takes the congregation to a wide entrance on the first floor.

But the church services take place on the lower ground floor.

The worshipping area can now be accessed in two ways – by a large staircase or via a twisty slide.

Sunday was is the first day in which the slide has been fully operational and is available to children and adults alike.

Reverend Joel Sales said: “We want to say actually this is a church for everyone young and old.

“It’s quite an austere building and the slide says actually this is a place for everyone.

“As a church we believe god is fun and joyful – so what better way to say that to people than a slide?

“For hundreds of years Christians have been making stain glass window and works of art to convey what God is like.

“This slide is almost like that.

‘’People think Christianity is all serious and solemn. Actually, it’s a journey into belief, joy and life.”

The building, which was vacated by Italian restaurant Bottelinos until 2017, was built in 1897 for Great Western Railway as a pattern store to keep engineering plans and designs.

Rev Sales added: “I was keen for the slide.

“But then it’s a Grade II listed so architects said ‘actually that’s not a good reason to bash a hole in the building.’

“But most recently it was an Italian restaurant and there was all kinds of plaster board everywhere.

“In stripping that though we luckily found a hole in the right place. They then said we could do the slide.

“I’ve heard of cathedrals who’ll occasionally put a helter skelter thing in temporarily. And I’ve heard of churches with a separate soft play area used for kids.

“But in terms of a slide people use to get into church I’m not aware of any other.”