A UNIQUE county church which has undergone 12 years and thousands of pounds worth of restoration work is to receive royal approval next week.

St John the Evangelist in Shobdon – famed for its early Gothic revival interior – has received quite a facelift in recent years.

What was initially considered a straightforward repair project, became something much more when initial work revealed the building's structural timber work was in a bad state.

His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, has an important part in the church's history over recent years, having made what church officials describe as a generous donation to "set the ball rolling" in a £500,000 appeal.

It was while visiting at the start of the campaign that he made his donation, and he is set to return to the church he helped transform next Friday.

His Royal Highness will meet conservation architects, fundraisers and volunteers involved with the project during his visit next Friday.

Prince Charles will also visit The Judges Lodging to view the restored Victorian courtroom and Judge's lodging complex which is an important heritage attraction in Presteigne.

A visit to Maesyronnen Chapel – a 17th Century single-story Nonconformist hilltop meeting house and the adjoining holiday cottage in Hay-on-Wye – will complete the trip.