AYCLIFFE Village, known for sound historical reasons as Old Aycliffe, is just off the A1 north of Darlington. The thought occurred on the way up the motorway last Sunday morning that just about the only people we know there are inn keepers or domino players - or publicans and sinners, as St Matthew's gospel might have put it.

None of the former, though doubtless large numbers of the latter, appeared to be in St Andrew's parish church.

We had been warned about St Andrew's and they, presumably, about us. "I expect you've come looking for a juicy story," someone said, though a nice cup of coffee would have sufficed.

The warning had been to wrap up well. "It can get a bit cold," they said. "Wear an extra vest."

Parts of the church are reckoned 150 years older than Durham Cathedral, the first church on the hilltop site possibly built from wood and a second from Saxon stone. The incumbents' board at the back of the church dates back to 1085.

Last year a heritage centre opened there, designed not just to attract far- flung visitors but locals unaware of the treasures on their doorstep and championed by Dawn Herbert, its chairman and secretary.

"In other words dogsbody," says Dawn, a woman so passionate about St Andrew's that when a party arrived from the register office in the hope of a more romantic backdrop for their wedding photographs, she agreed in exchange for a fee. It costs £300 a week just to keep the place standing.

"I have no worries about this church at all. The people here just get on with it," says Mark Allsopp, the team vicar in charge of St Andrew's and of St Francis in Newton Aycliffe, which meets in a school. There's been a real effort, he adds, to get the church back on the map.

"Mind," he says, "we still couldn't do it without Dawn."

Holy Communion is at 10 30am, top coats and anorak hoods much in evidence. Ne'er cast a clout till church is out. "We had the heating replaced two years ago," says Dawn. "It's a lot better than it used to be."

The church is warmly welcoming for all that, a note in the service book recording that children are not just encouraged - "We will not be disturbed" - but that toys, paper and pens are provided. In the column's experience, a poke of sweeties (as they used to say in The Broons) serves the pacification purpose still better.

For their own safety, adds the service book, children should not be allowed to play around the altar. The specific hazards of such folly are not made clear: a clip round the ear from the celebrant may be ruled out, however.

In the event, there's only one little girl and she's as good as gold. The greater worry may be that apart from her parents and Mr Allsopp, few others in the 30-odd congregation appear to be aged under 50. For some reason we sing from Junior Praise, though there's nothing matter with the senior singing.

Mr Allsopp conducts the service from a small oak altar at the chancel steps, dedicated last month and grown, seasoned and made locally. It's decided that the benefactor would probably not like his name in the paper - no altar ego in Aycliffe, then.

An excellent sermon begins with the observation that the Churches Advertising Network almost always seems to be under fire, specifically for the Easter poster campaign which superimposed an image of Christ onto another of Che Guevara - "a long way," says Mark, "from the Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild of my childhood."

His theme is images. With what animal image would we identify ourselves? Or Jesus?

Afterwards there's a chance to examine some of St Andrew's artefacts, each fully explained and labelled. The added benefit of a greater awareness of the past, they're convinced, is a growing interest in the present. Congregations, and vibrancy, are growing.

"Even a lot of the locals don't really know what's here," says Dawn, whilst flogging St Andrew's pens. "We're very keen for as many people as possible to take a look for themselves."

It's only then that we realise that persistently blocked sinuses have been almost blasted clear, as if by some ecclesiastical Day Nurse - yet more evidence than church-going is good for you and at St Andrew's, perhaps, rather more light than heat.

* St Andrew's heritage centre is open on Thursday evenings from May, 2 -4pm, and at other times by arrangement with Dawn Herbert (01325 300040) or Mark Allsopp (01325 321533). Sunday service is at 10 30am, the mother and toddler group on Mondays from 1.30pm.

Published: 19/01/02