RARE hinged stained-glass windows at a North-East church are to be restored using an £81,000 grant.

The rich, vibrantly coloured glass in Holy Cross Church, at Ryton, near Gateshead, will soon shine even more brightly after the work is carried out.

English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) made the announcement yesterday - along with the news that five other churches in the region will benefit.

A total of £257,000 of funding has been made available under the 2007 Repair Grants scheme for Grade I and II-listed places of worship.

Holy Cross was founded in 1220 and, apart from restoration work in 1886, the structure has hardly changed in 800 years.

The work then involved creating a carved wooden spiral staircase leading up to the ringing room and the belfry above.

The funding will go towards repairing some of the high level stonework and pointing, and replacing some of the gutter- ing.

But it is Holy Cross collection of stained glass which will improve most noticeably when it is completely restored.

Many of the windows are part of a collection of Flemish glass, possibly 17th Century, brought to Ryton in the mid-1800s and restored in 1849 by Newcastle tea trader turned stained glass artist, William Wailes.

The intense reds, greens and blues of the thicker, older Flemish glass only allow a limited amount of light through, and mounting the glass panels on a swing frame meant they could be opened to let the sunlight flood in.

Ernie Dunn, who has been church warden and treasurer during his 20 years' involvement with the church, said: "Once the glass has been removed, cleaned and reset by specialists, the effect in the church will be absolutely stunning."

As part of the payouts, St Michael's and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring, will get £16,000; The Church of St Paul, Jarrow, has been awarded £73,000; Stockton Parish Church will receive £38,000; The Church of St Giles, Chollerton, Northumberland has been granted £12,000 while St Michael's, Ilderton, Northumberland will get £37,000.

David Miller, HLF committee member said: "Our historic places of worship are enormously important in the life of communities and give character to towns and villages the length and breadth of the country."

Three churches in North Yorkshire are also sharing a windfall of £270,000.

St Wilfred's, Burnsall, near Grassington will get £130,000, St Mary's, Riccall, £54,000 while St Martin's on the Hill, Scarborough, receives £86,000