ST Julitta’s church in Lanteglos by Camelford has received a £40,000 funding boost in the shape of a National Churches Trust Repair Grant to help fund urgent roof and stonework repairs.

The church is one of 55 churches and chapels in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that are set to benefit from rescue funding of £425,183 from the National Churches Trust, the UK’s church support charity.

The project will rescue the church, an important community resource which is under threat from structural deterioration.

At present damp is everywhere. The roof will be renewed with as many recovered slates as possible, structural repairs will take place to walls and to the tower, re pointing with lime mortar, and rotten timbers will be replaced.

The materials will either be reused, or replacements will be matched as near as possible to the original.

The work will ensure that the building can be taken off the Historic England Heritage at Risk register. An additional benefit is that the building will be made fit for the 21st century and able to cope with large community gatherings that has been its function over many centuries.

The church is used in numerous ways including regular afternoon teas, morning coffee, concerts, gospel music events, weddings, funerals, baptisms, flower festivals, Remembrance Sunday and even a Cub Scouts’ sleepover.

St Julitta’s is a Grade I Listed medieval Cornish church in the Parish of Lanteglos by Camelford. Parts of the building date back to Norman times.

Rare 15th century stained glass survives today. The font, also 15th century, and the east window share an unusual early symbol of the universe.

One of the first circumnavigators of the world, Samuel Wallis, was baptised in the font and his family dating from the 16th century is commem­orated in a memorial stone.

The historic landscape includes the nearby Iron Age fort of Castle Goff and an Iron Age settlement. Next to the church was a 13th century Royal deer park. A short way upstream on the edge of the River Allen is St Julitta’s Holy Well that flows past the church.

St Julitta’s church has been a focus of Christian worship over centuries up to the present time and still holds regular services.

The church is unusually light inside with large areas of clear glass. From outside, the windows allow visitors, unusually, to look right through the church nave and aisle from east to west as well as through the tower.

The Archdeacon of Bodmin, the Ven Audrey Elkington, said: “The National Churches Trust grant will go a significant way to enabling the roof of this special church to become weather tight again. The local church and community are working very hard to enable St Julitta’s to become a significant resource for all within Camelford, and to enable its historic features to be enjoyed for years to come.”

Huw Edwards, broadcaster and journalist and vice-president of the National Churches Trust said: “At the heart of communities in cities, towns and villages, churches are a treasure trove of architecture, history and faith.

“I’m delighted that St Julitta’s church in Lanteglos by Camelford is to be saved for the future with the help of a £40,000 National Churches Trust Repair Grant.

“This will help ensure that this Grade I Listed medieval Cornish church is removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and can stay open for worship and for use by the local community.”