A PROJECT to restore one of the country's most complete examples of 19th Century stained glass has won a £41,000 grant.

St Martin on the Hill, in Scarborough, is one of eight churches in the North-East and North Yorkshire to be given funding by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The church was built by GF Bodley in 1861. The windows, which are the work of William Morris, have been described by experts as being one of the most important and complete 19th century glazing schemes in the country.

Initial work to restore colour and detail in some of the figures will cost £79,000. The entire project will take three years and cost more than £200,000.

Parish vicar the Reverend Tony Mills said: "Bodley's architecture and Morris' glass make St Martin's a national treasure, and while the grant will guarantee half of the money required to carry out phase one of the glass restoration, the parish is determined to raise the remainder, either by further grants or fund- raising."

Other grants in North Yorkshire include £15,000 for St Andrew's in Rillington, near Malton; £63,000 for St Michael's in Malton; £35,000 for St Andrew's in Aldborough, near Boroughbridge; and £159,000 for St Andrew's in Kirby Grindalythe, near Malton.

In the North-East, St Mary's in Easington has been offered £84,000; St James in Hunstanworth £76,000; and St Mary's in Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland, £124,000.

The north and south walls of St Mary's, at Easington, are being moved outwards and urgent work is needed to prevent the church roof from collapsing.

Parish administrator David Bowers said: "If we don't act now to prevent any further movement, the long-term consequences for our church are very serious."

At St Mary's in Cockfield, water from broken lead guttering has run down church pillars, causing plaster to fall from the nave ceiling.

The North-East has the lowest number of grant applications in the country. English Heritage will try and remedy this in May with the launch of a campaign called Inspired!

It will promote heritage work done by volunteers and direct practical help to small congregations without the manpower to co-ordinate restoration projects.