The future of a historic medieval church has been secured after the completion of a long-term project to structurally restore it.

St Barnabas Church, in Alphamstone, was originally built in the 14th century and is a Grade One listed building.

Churchwarden Charles Dinwiddy said: “The main concern was that the church was shifting a little bit and while we were investigating that we discovered the roof needed repair.

“The work done has also managed to stop damp coming in.”

Over £200,000 has been spent on the project so far over the past nine years, with donations from parishioners and friends of the church adding to a number of generous grants.

Mr Dinwiddy said: “We are extremely grateful to English Heritage, Friends of Essex Churches, Essex Environment Trust and the Garfield Weston Trust for their donations.

“I’d say the entire project is about 75 per cent complete now.

”In the next ten years we hope to decorate and improve the inside so that it looks just as great as the church now does on the outside.”