The race is now on to bolster the 800-year-old north wall of St Lawrence's Church in Warkworth, which is leaning outwards towards the banks of the Coquet.

Because it was built on soft sandy soil, the enormous weight of the stonework has caused the masonry to bow to the point where it's now around 20 inches out of true alignment.

To stop the wall in its tracks, engineers will have to sink piles down to the bedrock – a full 18 metres under the alluvial deposits – and insert massive L-shaped concrete columns built into the wall itself.

English Heritage has stumped up the cash, as part of a £15 million package from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support urgent conservation work on listed places of worship.

Rev Canon Janet Brearley, vicar at St Lawrence's, said: "This is an essential repair project to the church.

"The wall is of very high quality Norman construction, built on the same lines as Durham Cathedral, but the ground it stands on is very soft. It's taken more than 800 years for the top of the wall to be almost 20 inches out of true, but 10 per cent of that, or two inches, has occurred in the last 40 years.

"So the movement is not only still happening, it's actually accelerating.

"Major works will have to be done to put a foundation in the bedrock almost 60 feet down, and hold the wall in place.

"At the moment all the stress is being centred on the roof trusses, which can't be good."

And she added: "We've had tremendous support from the people of Warkworth, from the church community and beyond.

"Without the help of English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, however, we would be left facing a very difficult situation. The church may have eventually had to close down on safety grounds."

David Miller, of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "This is a major engineering project, which reaches into the very fabric of this ancient building."

The total cost of the project is £500,000, and the community has been hard at work to raise the remainder.

One of those involved is Edith Howliston, of Castle Street, who has made hundreds of eco-friendly shopping bags to sell towards church funds.

"Last year I raised around £2,000," said Edith, who has been a member of the St Lawrence's congregation for 50 years. "I thought it would be good to get £3,000, so I've just kept going."

Anyone wishing to donate towards the restoration work is invited to become a Friend of Warkworth Church. Contact Mrs Brearley on 01665 711271 or visit www.stlawrence-church.org.uk