RESTORATION work to a village church which dates back nearly 1,000 years can begin with the help of a £190,000 lottery grant.
Crucial repairs to St Peter’s in Dunchurch, which dates back to Norman times, could start as early as March after the Heritage Lottery Fund announced the grant.
Last year, campaigners launched an appeal to raise the £250,000 needed to repair the sandstone walls at the church, which are made of stone thought to date back as far as the ninth century.
The rest of the total has been funded by grant awards and fundraising projects, including a two-day festival last summer which raised £12,000.
Churchwarden and chief fundraiser Chris Sarson said he was thrilled by the news.
“This funding will ensure the preservation of this beautiful old church for many generations to come,” he said.
“It is a landmark much loved by the villagers of Dunchurch, whether they be regular churchgoers or not.”
Mr Sarson said the project is likely to start in March or April, with work set to last six months.
Splitlath Building Conservation Ltd, a company with extensive experience of repairs to ancient buildings, has been chosen to complete the project.
In 2011 an architect who inspects the condition of the church every five years reported the time had come to repair the sandstone masonry before its deterioration became so serious that the church would not be weatherproof or safe.
Other major contributors to the total include WREN Landfill Trust, which donated £50,000 and the Coventry and Warwickshire Historic Churches Trust which contributed £4,000.
