The funding comes from the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of the Government's Culture Recovery Fund.
Administered on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by Historic England, the grants are aimed to support and bolster local economies and jobs across the country.
Money from the government's £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund is intended to open up heritage and the benefits it brings to everyone.
Claire Walker, CEO National Churches Trust said:
"Historic local places of worship are a vital part of our national heritage, but sadly, a shortage of available funding means that many are in a very poor state of repair."
"The £1.5 million investment in our grants scheme by the Government's Culture Recovery Fund is incredibly good news. It comes on top of £2 million from the Culture Recovery Fund awarded to us in October 2021, money which is already funding urgent heritage repairs at 15 churches in England.
The funding is a vote of confidence in the future of historic church buildings and a recognition of their importance to society."
Huw Edwards, Vice-President of the National Churches Trust said:
"Local churches, chapels and meeting houses are the beating heart of local communities. It's great news that grants for more churches and meeting houses identified by the National Churches Trust will now be made available with funding from the Culture Recovery Fund. This will help to protect heritage and keep churches open so that they can continue to support local people."
Duncan Wilson, Historic England's Chief Executive, said:
"Funding from the government's Culture Recovery Fund is hugely welcome at a time when the people and organisations who look after our vast and varied array of heritage urgently need support to carry out essential repairs. We are delighted that further historic sites and projects will benefit from this funding. It will add to the vital work of the Heritage Stimulus Fund in supporting irreplaceable heritage sites and places of worship across the country."
Full list of places of worship being helped:
1. New churches receiving grants totalling £1 million.
BEDFORDSHIRE - St Mary the Virgin, Northill. Dating from the 13th century and including a set of six bells, this Grade I Listed church receives a grant of £99,000 to fund the relaying of lead and associated timber repairs to roofs to make the building watertight.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE - St Mary the Virgin, Leighton Bromswold. Containing one of the most complete sets of Jacobean pews and woodwork in England, this Grade I Listed church receives a grant of £79,000 to fund urgent repairs to the Nave, north transept and porch roofs.
HAMPSHIRE - St Andrew, Rockbourne. Founded in the 11th century, this Grade I Listed church is set on a hill with fine views across a valley. It receives a grant of £75,000 to fund urgent tower repairs involving removing the entire roof and then either replacing or restoring it prior to reassembly.
HEREFORDSHIRE - St Deinst, Llangarron. The church is dedicated to St Deinst, a Celtic saint who died in 584. Rebuilt in the 15th century, this Grade I Listed church receives a grant of £43,000 to fund urgent repairs to masonry which will make the building watertight.
KENT - St Andrew, Wickhambreaux. Dating from the 14th century, this Grade I Listed church includes much fine stained glass including a sumptuous Art Nouveau window by Arild Rosenkrantz, which may be the first work by an American glass painter in Europe. It receives a grant of £118,000 to fund urgent roof repairs to make the church watertight.
KENT - St Botolph, Chevening. One of the most important church buildings in the Diocese of Rochester, containing exceptional monuments in its Stanhope Chapel, this Grade I Listed church receives a grant of £42,000 to fund urgent roof repairs to prevent rainwater damage.
LEICESTERSHIRE - St Mary Magdalene, Peckleton. Dating from the 14th century, this Grade I Listed church has excellent acoustics and has played hosts to many concerts. It receives a grant of £25,000 to fund urgent stone and roof repairs.
LEICESTERSHIRE - St Philip & St James, Ratby. This Grade II* Listed church was built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The tower houses eight bells, the oldest of which was installed in 1367. It receives a grant of £26,000 to fund urgent repairs to the stonework of the tower.
LINCOLNSHIRE - St Mary, Marshchapel. A spectacularly beautiful building, completed in around 1420, Grade I Listed St Mary's church is known as 'The Cathedral of the Marshes'. It receives a grant of £36,000 to fund urgent repairs to gutters and masonry and plaster repairs.
NORFOLK - Holy Trinity, Caister. Standing just a few hundred yards from Caister's Roman fort, this Grade II* Listed church receives a grant of £96,000 to fund urgent repairs to the vestry to make the historic building watertight.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE - St Mary the Virgin, Badby. Dating from the 14th century, this Grade II* Listed church receives a grant of £47,000 to fund urgent roof and tower repairs to make the building sound from water damage.
OXFORDSHIRE - St Mary, Cogges (near Witney). Originating as an Anglo-Saxon structure, this Grade I Listed church receives a grant of £119,000 to fund urgent roof repairs to make the historic building watertight.
SUFFOLK – St Andrew, Rushmere. The original building was a medieval church built in the 12th century. During the 20th century the building has been extended to cater for much larger congregations arising from the building of Rushmere housing estate and the extension of the outer perimeter of Ipswich. The Grade II* Listed church receives a grant of £33,000 to retile the roof.
SUFFOLK - St Mary, Homersfield. Retaining original Norman elements, this Grade II* Listed church receives a grant of £68,000 to fund urgent roof repairs and work on the tower and interior walls.
WILTSHIRE - St Mary the Virgin, Steeple Ashton. Filling the visitor with awe and wonder, this Grade II* Listed church includes magnificent vaulting and was built in the late Middle Ages to replace an earlier church, the tower of which remains. It receives a grant of £36,000 to fund urgent repairs to the tower to safeguard its historic fabric.
WORCESTERSHIRE - St Mary, Kyre Wyard. Housing the Geneva bible, printed in 1578 and one of the most significant translations of the Bible into English, this Grade II* Listed church receives a grant of £19,000 to fund urgent repairs to its historic windows.
2. Existing projects receiving a funding uplift.
In addition, 14 churches previously awarded grants in October 2021 from the Cultural Recovery Fund on the recommendation of the National Churches Trust receive a funding uplift totalling £500,000.
- DORSET - St Lawrence, Bigbury
- BUCKINGHAMSHIRE - St Michael & All Angels, Hughenden
- CAMBRIDGESHIRE - St Mary the Virgin, Gamlingay
- CORNWALL - St Anietus, St Neot
- CORNWALL Friends Meeting House, Marazion
- CORNWALL - St Stephen, Launceston
- CUMBRIA- Friends Meeting House, Kendal
- CUMBRIA - St John, Workington
- DORSET - St Lawrence, Bigbury
- HAMPSHIRE - Newport Minster, Isle of Wight
- LEICESTERSHIRE - Holy Trinity, Norton Juxta Twycross
- LINCOLNSHIRE - St James, Skillington
- NORTHAMPTONSHIRE- All Saints, Northampton
- TYNE AND WEAR - St Chad, Bensham
- WEST YORKSHIRE - United Reformed Church, Saltaire, Yorkshire
