ONE of the nation's finest Victorian estate churches has taken on a new look as a major restoration project gets under way.

A £150,000 project has begun to repair stonework at grade I-listed St James' Church at Baldersby, near Thirsk.

And with work concentrating on the 160ft spire, it is now clad in scaffolding, giving it a "skyscraper" appearance that is visible from the A1.

The spire has been badly affected by eroding stonework, but, paradoxically, the problem is more severe on the inside of the structure.

Built in 1856 in an exposed location, winds have whipped in through openings in the belfry, creating mini-whirlwinds and blasting the soft interior sandstone.

English Heritage has backed the repairs with a grant of £122,000, which will tackle eroding pointing and masonry and water penetration.

The timber louvres are being renewed, incorporating mesh on the inside to limit wind damage.

English Heritage's historic buildings architect, Hilary Roome, said: "The church is a magnificent example of its kind, but 150 years of weather has taken its toll.

"The inside of the spire is made of quite soft sandstone, which explains why the wind turbulence has created such unforeseen problems. Repairs will help secure the building's future."

St James' was built for the seventh Viscount Downe by William Butterfield, one of the leading 19th Century Gothic-revivalist architects, ands many experts believe the church is his finest work.

The vicar, the Reverend Christine Haddon-Reece, said: "The scaffolding has given us a bird's-eye view of the damage, which is more extensive then we previously thought.

"Although the sandstone fabric looks beautiful, it is particularly vulnerable to the weather. We are now looking to raise additional funds so all the work can be done while the scaffolding is in place."

The architect for the project is Ferrey and Mennim and the contractor is Landstone Conservation, both of York.