A CHURCH that can trace its origins back to the 13th Century has been given a new lease of life.

It had been feared that St Mary's Church, at Rievaulx, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, would have to be abandoned after sandstone slabs began to slide off the pitched roof.

But local parishioners rallied round, and with the help of a £45,000 grant from English Heritage, raised the £70,000 needed to meet the repair costs.

The church dates back to the 1200s, when a "slipper chapel" at Rievaulx Abbey - where travellers paused to pray - stood on the site.

Historically, people visiting the Cistercian monastery of Rievaulx Abbey - founded in 1132 - were not allowed into the inner precinct, but were permitted to pray in the chapel, at the abbey entrance, after removing their shoes.

A century ago, leading architect Temple Moore created St Mary's, when he enlarged the remains of the ruined medieval chapel and added a tower and chancel.

English Heritage architect Hilary Roome said: "The church is a little tucked away, but it's one of the Rye Valley's best-kept secrets, incorporating part of an ancient chapel and set amidst stunning scenery.

"Like so many churches in Yorkshire, however, the congregation faces growing bills for urgent repairs. We're delighted that every one has pulled together to secure the church's future."

Although most of St Mary's stonework is 20th Century, medieval masonry from the original slipper chapel can still be seen in the nave, with one prominent ancient stone inscribed with the word "Rievallens" - meaning Rievaulx.

Following the abbey's suppression by Henry VIII in 1538, the building fell into ruin, before the surviving fabric was re-used in the new St Mary's Church.

As a final flourish, the church is now working on a plan to erect a weathervane on its steeple.

The design would be based on the 14th Century Rievaulx cockerel - a figure painted onto medieval stained glass which was re-discovered five years ago.

Mike Ingle, the church's project officer, said: "If the plan goes ahead, we would commission a local blacksmith to make the cockerel.

"Not only would it be an excellent way of reminding visitors about the ancient ties between St Mary's and Rievaulx Abbey and pinpoint the church's location, but it would be a way to recognise the magnificent fundraising efforts of local people."