AN historic church will now be open to the public on specified days throughout the summer.

Thanks to volunteers within the congregation, visitors and residents will be able to explore St Andrew’s Avalanche Memorial Church in Southwell, Portland, during the summer months.

From Tuesday, May 1 and continuing on Tuesdays throughout May, June and July, the church will be open from 2pm to 4pm.

Then during the first three weeks of August, the openings will be extended to include Thursdays, again from 2pm to 4pm, to give visitors to the Olympic sailing events the chance to view an important part of the island’s history.

The church was built to commemorate the men, women and children who lost their lives in a shipping collision which took place off the shores of Portland in 1877.

The building also contains artifacts from the liner Avalanche, which collided with the merchant ship, Forest.