A 12TH century church with close links to Lewis Carroll has been gifted more than £30,000 of Heritage Lottery cash towards a new visitor centre.

St Peter's Church, in Croft-on-Tees, near Darlington, is hoping to raise a total of £160,000 for its heritage centre, which will allow visitors to find out more about its long history.

And it has now received a grant of £30,500 to both create the centre and restore some of the church's most precious monuments – some of which date back to the 14th century.

An interactive display about Lewis Carroll will be housed in the centre and a separately-funded extension will be built into the graveyard for a kitchen and toilet.

Reverend Jenni Lane, the vicar of St Peter’s, which dates back to 1130, said: "We are thrilled to receive the support thanks to National Lottery players, and are excited about the creation of a heritage centre that will offer an insight into the treasures that are contained in this very fine building.

"We are also most grateful to Richmond School who have offered to help create material for the media centre, and we are certain this will be a great learning opportunity for the pupils involved.”

David Renwick, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “St Peter’s Church is a fantastic building with a long and varied history. Not only will the project restore the historic monuments, it will also capture the fascinating stories connected to the church, all thanks to National Lottery players.”

Lewis Carroll’s father, the Reverend Charles Dodgson, became rector at Croft in 1843 when the boy was just 11. The rectory opposite the church was Carroll’s family home until his father died in 1868. The display will detail his connections to Croft and some of the treasures in the church which may have inspired his work.

Pupils from Richmond School will carry out research on the church’s history and its famous people, and create video material.

They will also video interview archaeologists and conservators engaged in works on the church so that visitors can learn about the preservation of ancient buildings.

The installation of the toilet and kitchen will mean the church can be used for more community activities, and to provide facilities for visitors.

Once both projects are completed, a number of trained volunteers will be on hand to show visitors how to use the media centre.

The churchyard will be closed from February 22 until July as the extension gets underway. However, church services will be unaffected.