St Mary's Church in Kirkby Lonsdale, which lies around five minutes from Whittington, in north Lancashire, has received the funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop plans for a major restoration project. Dating back around 900 years, St Mary's is one of only five major churches in Cumbria and is the largest building in Kirkby Lonsdale. Church leaders have warned that without the larger funding package, the building could ultimately face closure. Peter Gregson, project lead at St Mary's Church, said the team was "delighted and very grateful" to receive the initial support. Helen Featherstone, director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the North of England, said: "We're thrilled to support St Mary's Church with this initial grant to work towards repairing and restoring the striking, centuries-old Grade-I listed building."