A 900-YEAR-old needs to raise £1.5m to address major issues with the building.

There has been a church on the site in Church Walk, Ulverston, since 1111, and the building, which has a Norman arch and medieval tower, is Grade 2 listed.

The walls of the medieval bell tower are waterlogged and cracked and the sandstone blocks are eroding badly. 

On both the main body of the church and the tower the walls need to be repointed in a traditional lime mortar to enable the walls to breathe.

Currently they are waterlogged, which is causing the blocks to erode catastrophically.

Overall there are around 11 miles of pointing and nearly 500 stone blocks to replace as well as 12 stained glass windows to remove, rebuild and re-glaze.

The church is engaging with an Ulverston stonemason with a view to maintaining local skills as part of the project.

Newly-appointed Rector Madi Simpson said: "We are trusting in God to meet all our needs, as he has in the past. Ulverston Parish Church is a house of prayer and worship, where people of all ages hear the good news of Jesus Christ and find new life, hope and friendship. Through the generosity of the congregation and local people, we aim for this to continue for another 900 years."

As a first step the church is about to begin a £100,000 replacement of the corroded cast iron gutters and downpipes, which will prevent water running into the building walls.

The church is Ulverston’s oldest building, and part of its history. Many families feel a connection to the building, whether through worshipping on a Sunday, a wedding, baptism of a child, or funeral of a loved one.

Around 1000 people visit the church each month, with three services each Sunday, active toddlers, children’s and youth groups, and 30 funerals, baptisms and weddings each year.

In the last year Ulverston Music Festival, Ulverston Choral Society, and others held nearly 30 concerts and events, and the church also hosted Christingle, Remembrance, church mice, a heritage skills day and interpretive displays in the churchyard.

Church treasurer Colin Dykes said: ‘Local churches don’t receive any money from the Church of England or the Government. We have taken the difficult decision to sell our Parish Centre to fund the repairs, as well as using almost all our savings, but even those will only cover a third of the cost. We will need help from the local community and grant making bodies.’

Contact the church office if you would like to support the restoration work.