The tower at St Andrew's in Rillington, near Malton, is in a dangerous condition with fears that chunks of the masonry could fall into the grounds.

The cost of the repairs is estimated at £100,000, of which English Heritage is offering to pay around £75,000.

The shortfall will have to be found by the church's congregation.

Tradition of worship

St Andrew's dates from Norman times and was restored in the 19th century.

Church warden Ann Hansen told BBC Radio York it would be sad to see the church close as it is of great historical importance.

She said it had a long tradition of worship and many people in the area still used it for their christenings, weddings and burials.

"There's a lot of them who hope in the future that they'll still be able to use the church for these things," she said.