TREADING the high ground is easy at St John's Church, Kirk Merrington - the church has a 72ft tower to add to its already elevated status. And its churchyard also has a gruesome history...

IF it is indeed the case that God moves in a mysterious way his many wonders to perform, last week's chance meeting with Mr Eric Elliott may take some explaining.

Mr Elliott is a barrister, head of chambers in Newcastle. Meat and drink to the Eating Owt column, we had bumped boisterously into him at Andrea Savino's now celebrated caf in Shildon.

Since he is also a racehorse trainer, the occasion additionally offered a few long priced paragraphs for the Backtrack column, whilst he further suggested we attend his local parish church last Sunday, the culmination of a weekend of special events.

It was St John's at Kirk Merrington, near Spennymoor, 641ft above the sea - high church, as it were - and with a 72ft tower to add stupendous views to all parts. "You can just see Durham Cathedral," said Mary Kell, one of the churchwardens, though in truth, we could just see the other end of the churchyard.

The weekend had been to raise both funds and awareness, a musical evening on the Friday - "Joe Prest will haunt you with his violin," said the programme, and might have said it a little better - followed by a gift day on Saturday and two special harvest services on the Sabbath.

"The problem is that we aren't even making ends meet," said John Little, the other warden. "If something major happened, we would be in trouble, but if someone said there wouldn't be a church in Kirk Merrington there'd be an uproar."

The village football team, true sportsmen, had already kicked in with £300 towards the cause.

Mr Elliott had thought that Canon David Kennedy, a former Kirk Merrington curate and Rector of St Andrew's in Haughton, Darlington would be Sunday morning's preacher, but the trainer had backed the wrong horse.

The service was instead led by Paul Allinson, priest-in-charge of Byers Green, Durham diocesan children's adviser and (doubtless in the second role) resident expert on Batman.

Some believe that a church has stood on the site since Saxon times, though the present building dates almost entirely from 1851 - "an attempted copy of its Norman predecessor," says the church guide.

In 1143 it had been occupied by William Comyn, described in the guide as a "usurping bishop" and in another history as a "Scottish brigand." No doubt the terms are mutually exclusive.

St John's also has strong connections with the Eden family, is home to the last known Wadsworth organ - "guard it with your lives," a former Vicar urged them - a handsome chancel screen by the 17th century Bishop Cosin and several old tombstones, including that of Sir Roger de Ferry, who killed the Brawn of Brancepeth.

(The Brawn was a wild boar, scared folk half to death, and may not also have been best pleased when the wily Sir Roger dug a trap for it.)

For macabre reasons, however, most visitors come to see the table top tomb of John, Jane and Elizabeth Brass, children murdered in their beds in 1683 by Andrew Mills, a servant on their father's farm nearby.

"Reader, remember, sleeping we were slain

"And here we sleep until we rise again."

Mills was hanged in chains at a spot near Spennymoor where Black and Decker now threatens to hang more innocent folk out in the wind. His father is said to have tried to obscure his name from the stone, now well weathered, from which the epitaph is taken.

"It's surprising how many still want to see it," said Eric Stephenson, St John's knowledegable historian.

Among the 50 or so at morning service is Mr Terry Robson, tuba playing clerk of Spennymoor Town Council, recently promoted from junior to youth bands. "I'm a leap year baby, so I'm still only 16," he says.

The church is dressed for harvest thanksgiving, the morning so autumn glorious - it will be pouring by dinner time - that thanks are offered for its splendours.

The gospel reading is of the lilies of the field, who toil not, neither do they spin; Mr Allinson's lively sermon is on the birds of the air - robin, penguin and them.

"And remember," he concludes, "God wants spiritual fruits not religious nuts."

There are also prayers for Iraq, Indonesia, Ireland and (unless these old ears greatly deceive) for Oldham.

Mr Elliott is quickly out of the stalls at the end. Mr Little ascends the tower with the no less courageous photographer, whilst Mr Stephenson essays his little tour.

"There's a lot going for this church. We'd very much like to keep it," he says. The gift day - "a great result," says John Little - raises £2,500, the more the Merrington, towards that happy end.

* Principal Sunday services at St John's Kirk Merrington are at 10 45am and 6pm.