THE OLDEST parish in Nottingham has been awarded £22,000 of Heritage Lottery money for urgent restoration work.
St Mary's Church in the Lace Market is recorded in the Doomesday Book and the main building dates back to as early as 1377.
The money which has already been secured will pay for work to the fabric of the building while the church is applying for further funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund's Grants for Places of Worship.
A full grant of £200,000 would see roof repairs at the historic church, stonework repairs to the tower and stair turret and would include a programme of heritage events.
And St Mary's also wants to replace windows and stone window tracery to the cost of £500,000.
The church forms part of the city centre parish and dates back to the Saxon times.
Christopher Harrison, vicar of All Saints, St Peter's and St Mary's, says: "We're delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this initial support. Our efforts now are focused on securing the full grant. St Mary's is a focal point of Nottingham's historic Lace Market area and has been serving the people of Nottingham for over 600 years. A significant amount of work is needed to maintain the building for current and future generations. We are exploring a number of opportunities to raise money to help towards the cost of the work."
Last year, St Mary's saw a new stone floor installed and £250,000 of restoration work has taken place over the last 20 years.
Vanessa Harbar, head of HLF East Midlands said: "For centuries St. Mary's Church has been right at the heart of Nottingham life and continues to be hugely important for ceremony and worship. We believe that investing in restoration works now will not only help preserve the building for the future but also help open it up for wider use by the community. We look forward to seeing how the plans develop."
