A HISTORIC Norman church has been awarded a £32,000 grant towards urgent repairs.

St Peter and St Paul Church in Rock is the largest Norman parish church in Worcestershire and also one of the oldest.

English Heritage (EH) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have allocated the grant for repairs to the church's west window.

The vicar, Rev Stephen Owens, said: "It's a large window and a section at the top is badly cracked and could be quite dangerous."

He added: "It's important the work is done as soon as possible because of the possibility of future deterioration. The window will look lovely when it's repaired."

He explained that the main part of the Grade I Listed church was built around 1160, while the remainder was added during the 15th century.

Mr Owens said: "It's a wonderful parish and a beautiful area. Proportionally, we have a good congregation but it is very small compared to town parishes."

He added: "It would be impossible for a congregation the size of ours to find the money to fund the repair work and there is always work that needs to be done."

The grant was part of a repairs package worth more than £2 million and allocated to nearly 40 churches in the Midlands.

Tim Johnston, EH regional director for the West Midlands said: "The site of an imposing church on the skyline is a quintessential feature of the English landscape.

"However, many of these time-worn treasures are only maintained through the hard work of small and hard-pressed communities. These grants will go some way to providing much-needed support."

Anne Jenkins, regional manager for HLF West Midlands, said: "People really care about their local places of worship, which are often a focus for the whole community.

"The HLF and EH are helping to secure their future by concentrating on the most urgent repair needs and so making a crucial difference to their long-term survival."