East Midland churches given nearly £2m for repairs

Church of St Mary de Castro in Leicester will benefit from a grant of £187,000

Nearly £2m is to be spent carrying out urgent repairs to some of the East Midlands' most important listed churches.

Buildings including St Swithun in Lincolnshire and St Mary de Castro, Leicester, will benefit.

The grants, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be distributed by English Heritage.

Four churches in Nottinghamshire will have a share of £561,000 while £130,000 has been given to a Derbyshire church.

Lead thefts

In Lincolnshire, £736,000 will be spent on repairs to eight places of worship with St Swithun, Leadenham, getting the largest grant of £193,000.

The church, which dates back to the 13th Century, has suffered numerous lead thefts and some of the grant will be used for re-roofing.

Six churches in Leicestershire will have a share of £535,000.

Some of the other churches in the East Midlands to receive funding are the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Algakirk, Lincolnshire and Church of St Swithun, East Retford, Nottinghamshire.

A spokeswoman for Heritage Lottery Fund said: "Historic places of worship are an irreplaceable part of our heritage that continues to play a vital role within local communities today.

"In the last 10 years, the Heritage Lottery Fund has invested £155million into these wonderful buildings and I am delighted we are able to continue supporting congregations across the East Midlands to safeguard them for future generations."