A CRUMBLING 12th Century church on English Heritage's at-risk register has been awarded a £230,000 grant to restore the architecturally-important building.

The conservation body placed grade II*-listed St Wilfrid's Church, in South Kilvington, near Thirsk, on its list of properties needing to be rescued earlier this year after discovering a litany of structural issues during its five-yearly inspection.

Inspectors found the landmark church, which serves as the village's community hub, had wood rot in the shingled bell tower, damp caused by cracked render on the outside walls and that the chancel end of the church needed underpinning as its east wall was moving away from the north and south walls.

Church warden Terry Cussons said when work to restore the church, which is known for its 15th Century hexagonal black marble font donated by vicar Thomas le Scrope and medieval bench ends, begins in the spring it was possible further problems could be exposed.

Mr Cussons said: "There might need to be another phase of work as we don't know what will be revealed when the render comes off.

"We have managed to keep it waterproof, so the structural issues haven't stopped anybody from using it."

Moves to keep the building watertight have helped preserve features such as its gothic stalls, which were carved by the Rev WT Kingsley, who became the oldest rector in England while serving at the church from 1859 to 1917.

On Rev Kingsley's 99th birthday in 1914, the Darlington and Stockton Times reported he counted John Ruskin, the leading English art critic of the Victorian era and celebrated landscape artist JWM Turner as friends and that his wife, Octavia, was "frequently to be met in her bath chair in Thirsk".

Mr Cussons said due to the church's historic and ongoing role in the community, he was positive about raising £20,000 to match-fund the English Heritage grant.

He said: "It is the centre of the village as far as meeting places go, there's no village hall in South Kilvington.

"After the work is completed we are hoping to put in toilet facilities and extend its use."

Fundraising activities will start on Sunday (December 7), at 2.30pm, with a reading of an edited version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by churchwarden at Oswald’s Church, Sowerby, David Tucker.

For tickets, costing £7 for adults and free for under-16s free, call 01845-523826.