THE congregation of one of Craven's oldest and most historic village churches is celebrating after a major boost to a longstanding bid to make the building weatherproof.

St Wilfrid's Church in Burnsall has been given grant of £10,000 by the National Churches Trust to fund a project which includes the re-roofing of the north and south side chapels and repairs to windows in the south chapel.

The cash will also help to re-point the east gable above the chapel.

Historians believe there has been a church in wood on the spot since the seventh century, and it was rebuilt in stone after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

There have been longstanding problems with a leaking roof on the Grade I-listed building, which is in a conservation area in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

And among those who have welcomed the grant is television newsreader and broadcaster Huw Edwards, in his role as vice-president of the National Churches Trust.

St Wilfrid's suffers badly from damp and water penetration in several areas. The worst affected is the chapel, where buckets are used to catch rainwater. When the building is weather-tight church officials hope to carry out a complete internal redecoration.

A spokesman for St Wilfrid's said: "St Wilfrid's parochial church council is delighted to receive this substantial award from the National Churches Trust. The tenders for the work were all significantly more than envisaged and when the 'letter of intent' was issued to the contractor in March there was a funding gap of £47,000.

"The award from the National Churches Trust is a significant contribution towards closing the gap. The work is progressing well and is on schedule.”

On permanent display in the church are the remains of Anglo-Scandinavian crosses and tomb covers. In the early 16th century, the church was completely reconstructed in the 'perpendicular' style and the tower added.

In 1612 the church was repaired, paid for by Sir William Craven. In 1858 and '59 the church was ‘restored’ by a local architect John Varley, when the Victorian-style chancel arch was put in and the nave roof raised by six feet.

Huw Edwards said: "I’m delighted that St Wilfrid's is to be saved for the future with the help of a £10,000 National Churches Trust Repair Grant. This will ensure that the church remains open and a key part of the heritage of Burnsall."