A MAJOR programme of rewiring and lighting work will begin this month at Haworth Parish Church.

Church bosses promise dramatic improvements following the £40,000 project, which starts in September 13 and will last nine weeks.

They warn that during the work it may be necessary to restrict access to the church for members of the public.

The Rev Peter Mullins, the Rector of Haworth, said the only downside to the work was that the church – at the top of Main Street – might not be open as much as usual.

He said: “St Michael’s Church is visited by thousands of people every year. Many come as tourists because Charlotte and Emily Brontë are buried here while others come because they know they can find an open church in which to sit or pray.

“We can have a hundred different requests for prayer pinned on our prayer tree in a single week.

“The church apologises that it may be necessary to restrict access at times to keep the public and contractors safe. There may even be occasional days when it could be essential to close the church completely.”

Haworth Parish Church has been engaged in a major building restoration programme since 2011 and the rewiring and lighting improvement work, which is expected to cost around £40,000, is the latest development in the project.

Since the restoration programme began, the church’s roofs have been repaired, a new heating system has been installed, and servery and toilet facilities have been created.