RAINED-on worshippers will be able to put away the buckets for good at an ancient village church in north Lancashire, thanks to a Heritage Lottery windfall.

The Rev Nancy Goodrich and dedicated volunteers at Holy Trinity Church, Bolton-le-Sands, are overjoyed at the prospect of a new, leak-free roof and specialist conservation at their place of worship.

After three years of tireless work and fundraising, the congregation has finally secured £214,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for much-needed repairs to replace part of the local-slate church roof, which has been temporarily patched up to stop rain getting in. The traditional entrance porch is also to be improved for disabled visitors, with glass doors added.

The vicar of Bolton-le-Sands, Ms Goodrich said: "God’s love flows in the lives of people here and the church is loved by the community. This good news means we can care for this special and ancient building in our generation, ready for the next generation."

Holy Trinity's tower, pillars and arches are thought to date from the 15th century, and worshippers have gathered at the site of the Grade II*-listed church since 1094.

The Heritage Lottery money will help pay for historic Anglo-Saxon stones to be put on public display and for the church booklet to be updated.

"It's very exciting and it's a positive thing for lottery money to be coming to north Lancashire," said Ms Goodrich, who has two daughters.

"It's ultimately to replace the roof, that's the urgent thing that needs doing. We were listed on the Heritage at Risk Register because it's an ancient church.

"Every time there's a big downpour it always leaks somewhere. At the moment it's all patched up with plastic so the drips aren't that bad but it won't last."

Scaffolding is to go up on December 5 and the outside of the church will be tented, then scaffolding will be put in the side aisle just after Christmas, explained Ms Goodrich. "For quite a few months we won't be able to use the organ but it will be worth it to get the work done."

The project is expected to take specialist heritage contractors six months to complete.

The vicar praised the 'tremendous group of people' who have led fundraising efforts in Bolton-le-Sands for the past three years.

An appeal called Raise the Roof, Open the Door attracted a generous £60,000 from villagers. "What it showed is the depth of love in the community for this building, and it's that that unlocked the Heritage Lottery coming to us," said Ms Goodrich.

The Heritage Lottery Fund's North West head, Nathan Lee, said: "Holy Trinity Church stamps a sense of identity on Bolton-le-Sands while providing a venue for worship and many other community activities so HLF is delighted to give it support."