THIS is how an 800-year-old church devastated by a fire will look following its rebuilding.

Plans are underway to restore St Peter’s Church in Ropley which was engulfed in flames in 2014 and almost completely gutted.

More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze near Alresford, which destroyed centuries old medieval architecture, records dating back to the 1960s, the pulpit, and a 16th century font.

All that remained were the outside walls and it took around six months before the church was secure enough for firefighters to investigate - with no cause found.

Four years on, planning permission for a scheme by architects Alexander Designs has been approved by East Hampshire District Council and the church has received ‘faculty’ - the Church of England’s regulation of works to church buildings - from the Diocese of Winchester, allowing work to proceed.

Alexander Design, based in Winchester, has revealed their vision, which aims to preserve the heritage of the old building within the design of the new.

The rebuilt church will remain a community asset.

Andy Bonne,r of the Friends of St Peter’s, said: “The plans are now being turned into building and engineering specifications and the tender documents prepared. There is a lot of work to be done but we want to move forward as quickly as possible.

“You will probably see more visitors to the church over the next month and it is probable that some initial opening up works will begin during November.

“These aren’t the building work as such, but preparatory work so that the builders know exactly what is under the ground and flooring.

“Tenders will go out early next year, with a view to appointing a main contractor to start mid-2018. Building is then likely to take 18 months to two years, depending on the restoration and stonework.

“You will also see activity starting on our fundraising from early next year. Thanks to the generosity of Ecclesiastical Insurance we still have most of the insured value of the building remaining, despite the additional costs incurred in getting the approvals. However, there is still a need for fundraising.”

“From now on I’m happy to say that updates will probably be in the form of pictures of the church going up.”