ONE of south Essex's most historic churches is launching an appeal for £350,000 to fund its restoration.

The project - to repair the tower and windows at Rayleigh's 14th-century Holy Trinity Church - comes exactly 100 years after the last significant restoration work was carried out.

Assistant curate, the Rev Nick Rowan, said: "It is important we raise the funds to keep this historic church in good condition.

"We have to carry out work on some of the church windows and although they are not stained glass, it is still a costly job, as there has been deterioration in the stonework around them.

"The tower also needs substantial work to ensure the stonework remains secure for years to come."

Jane Brown, spokesman for the church's fabric committee, said some of the repair work over the years had also caused problems of its own. She added: "Time, weather and repairs which are now known to be inappropriate are the main culprits."

Holy Trinity sought a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, but was refused on the grounds other places of worship were in worse condition and in greater need of cash.

Mrs Brown said: "It is a large project at today's values, but less money than the church needed for our parish centre.

"We raised those funds from church members without going to the town and without the magnificent support of the Friends of Holy Trinity, which was not formed until the completion of the parish centre."

She said the church would still be applying to other funding bodies, including English Heritage.

The restoration project will be officially launched on Trinity Sunday, May 18, and Mrs Brown said a number of ideas had been suggested for events during that week.

The church also plans to set up a fundraising committee to take over the task of bringing in cash for the project.

She said: "For the tower team, we need hard-workers who are committed to preserving what is our church, our heritage today and the heritage of future generations tomorrow."

To help, call the parish office on 01268 742151, between 10am and 4pm.

A landmark steeped in history
* Holy Trinity Church first rose above the town of Rayleigh during the turbulent times of the Peasants' Revolt
* Local rumour in Rayleigh has always had it stones for the church were brought from the disused castle on Rayleigh Mount - a theory which has been largely rejected by modern historians, since the castle would have been a wooden structure
* Shortly after the start of the last century, it became obvious major restoration work was required. Pictures of the 1908 work show the roof of the chancel completely removed, masses of ivy being stripped from the walls and the tower undergoing repointing
* The rector in 1908, the Rev Girdlestone Fryer, was also the author of two definitive works on the history of Rayleigh
* During the Seventies, Holy Trinity was criticised over plans to demolish the parish rooms - now the Santa Lucia restaurant - to open up the view of the church itself.

The plan was eventually abandoned and the 1860s building, now considered an important example of small-town Victorian mock Gothic architecture, saved for posterity.