A lottery grant will fund urgent roof repairs at an ancient Suffolk church and “ensure its survival for future generations”.

St Mary and St Lawrence Church in Great Bricett, near Needham Market, has received a National Lottery grant of £82,200 for major roof repairs and a community heritage project.

The church roof will undergo vital structural and tiling repairs as well as work on the building’s drains to enable its survival.

The building works are expected to begin in March next year and will take around two to three months to complete.

A new path surface will also make access easier and support from volunteers will restore an overgrown yew tree to topiary.

The village’s camera club will keep a full photographic record of the works.

The community project will aim to build on recent research into the remarkable history of the unusual church through a new guide to the building, which will also be available to digital audiences.

Arland Shawe-Taylor, churchwarden, said: “We’re delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players.

“We will now be able to communicate the amazing history of this building and ensure its survival for future generations.”

Founded in 1107, the former Augustinian Priory was dissolved in 1444 and all its possessions granted to Kings College, Cambridge.

The college still has extensive documentation on the Priory right back to 1100, and there will be the opportunity for visits and lectures for local societies and schools.

There will also be the opportunity for the church to form links with other former Augustinian Priory sites.

The former monastery quadrangle to the north side is now the garden of Great Bricett Hall – which was also part of the monastery and is structurally joined to the church.