A £50,000 grant was announced yesterday to save a crumbling church tower from further decay.

Trinity Church, which stands in the shadow of Richmond Castle in the town's market place, has a history almost as long as the Norman ruin.

The original building was a chapel for those who worked within the walls of the bastion, perched above the River Swale.

A belfry was added in the 15th Century, but the church was later to fall into disuse, becoming a sanctuary, prison, brewery, court and town hall.

Today, it is home to a small chapel, shops and the Green Howards Regimental Museum - but the years have taken their toll.

Mortar at the top of the tower has worn away to such an extent that braces have had to be installed to hold stonework in place.

Last year, Trinity Tower was included on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register.

However, the charity announced yesterday that it would be contributing £50,000 towards repairs.

Richmond Town Council, which owns the tower, hopes to work with the community and other agencies to find a further £50,000 to cover the bill for work, which has been identified as urgent.

"Of course, we would very much welcome partnerships with anyone who thought they could help, either through donations or with fundraising ideas," said the Mayor, Councillor Stuart Parsons.

"The work has to be done so dipping into our reserves or a low-cost loan are options we can look at - but we would much rather work with the community to raise the necessary funds if we can," he said.