BELMONT Abbey's Church of St Michael is one of 10 Herefordshire churches to benefit from a £22,000 grant windfall.

Their prayers have been answered by Hereford-shire Historic Churches Trust, which has made grants of up to £5,000 to listed buildings.

St Michael's £3,000 grant will help pay for the first stage of a major project to repair its ancient fabric.

Parish priest and prior at Belmont Abbey, Father Matthew Carney, said the money is to do small repairs to the guttering and roof and to halt deterioration.

Heritage

"This is so that when we do the major work, which will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, it will not be any worse," said Father Matthew.

The head of a fundraising committee, he is also praying for a grant from English Heritage for restoration and conservation of the Abbey's buildings. About £3 million will be needed to carry out all the work and maintain the buildings.

Meanwhile, St Michael's at Brimfield, awarded £5,000, will be able to progress with stage two of a major project to repair its tower.

Holy Trinity and St Mary's, Abbeydore, has also received £5,000. The money will be spent on church roof repairs.

St Faith's at Bacton will spend £3,000 on the second stage of a big project including roof repairs to its tower and church.

Chancel

Money to repair roofs has also gone to St Mary Magdalene, Little Hereford and St Giles, Downton, which have both received £750.

St Mary the Virgin Church at Middleton-on-the-Hill will spend £3,000 on its tower roof and guttering, the nave and chancel roofs at All Saints, Monkland will have £1,000 spent on them as will the roof and spire at St Peter's, Pudleston.

A £750 grant will allow stage one of a project to render the tower at St Mary Magdalene Church, Leintwardine, to go ahead.