RESIDENTS are being urged to attend a meeting on Tuesday to help decide the future of a crumbling Grade I listed church shaped by some of Britain’s most powerful feudal families.

Surveyors have concluded that St Michael’s Church, in Well, near Bedale, urgently needs repair work estimated at nearly £100,000, while church leaders say more than £100,000 is needed to upgrade the building for worship and community use.

A church has stood on the site since before the Norman conquest, and while a section of the vestry walls are thought to be Saxon and much of the remaining building was constructed by Ralph Neville, whose daughter was the mother of Edward IV and Richard III, was around 1330.

The church, which attracts tourists to the village due to its wealth of architectural features and stained glass in almost every window, holds fortnightly services and is viewed by many parishioners as an under-utilised feature of the village.

David Webster, the church’s warden, said an inspection of the building had revealed £28,000 needs to be spent on the nave and roof, £60,000 on restoring the 12th Century tower and £11,000 on renovating the church walls.

He said: “We have seen this coming over the hill for some time, but now it is do or die.

“If we can raise the funds we can keep the church going. You can’t worship in a church that is about to fall down.”

It has been suggested that once the church is repaired, it could be used as a community hub for a range of groups as the village institute is small and in need of modernisation.

Church leaders say if a proposal to launch a fundraising drive wins widespread support, they would consider applying for a lottery grant to help cover the cost of up to £39,000 to overhaul the heating system, £50,000 to introduce toilet and kitchen facilities, £30,000 for churchyard improvements and £30,000 for other work.

A surveyor will detail the work needed at a meeting at the church on Tuesday (April 9), at 7pm.