Some of Yorkshire’s most architecturally important – yet crumbling – churches have received grants towards urgent structural repairs.
Charity the National Churches Trust has announced a £645,000 “rescue package” for 45 of the country’s most historic and community-minded churches, including six in Yorkshire.
The six includes Grade I listed churches St Martin at Womersley, near Doncaster, and Church of the Epiphany at Gipton, Leeds.
St Martin receives £40,000 for urgent repairs to the slate roof, roof timbers and drainage. The money will help stop water getting into the building and solve damp problems.
Dating from the 12th century, the St Martin is dominated by its 14th Century tower and spire. At least three Victorian restorations, the last one by G F Bodley, make it one of the best examples of Victorian Catholic revival in northern England. The church is the only significant public building in the village – in the past ten years the shop, post office and school have closed. The pub shut many years ago and the nearest petrol pump and ATM are five miles away.
List of churchs and amounts
- St Martin – £40,000
- Gipton’s Church of the Epiphany – £10,000
- St James’s Church at Clapham, North Yorkshire – £10,000
- St Peter’s Church in Huddersfield town centre – £10,000
- St Alban’s Church in Hull – £10,000
- Hope Baptist Church – £10,000
