SEVERAL heritage sites across the Bradford district have been restored thanks to grants from a public body set up to preserve the country's historic buildings.

Historic England, funded largely by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, updated its Heritage at Risk Register today, a list designed to provide an annual snapshot of the health of the nation's heritage.

A number of buildings that had been deemed at-risk have now come off the list thanks to improvements paid for, in part, by grants from the organisation.

One of the buildings to receive a substantial grant was the Grade II-listed St James Church in Thornton, which received around £280,000 to help re-slate its roof and repair Morris glass in its windows.

Church warden Steven Stanworth said the grant was invaluable in completing the work, which cost around £365,000 in total.

"There was no way we could have completed the work without the grant, it was a huge contribution," he said.

"It would have taken us more than ten years to raise the money, but with the grant we were able to complete the work within three.

"Water was getting in and starting to damage the walls, and it was cold and damp for people coming in.

"We've now been able to complete the repairs in time to coincide with our new Bronte exhibition.

"We are big supporters of Historic England and are very grateful for the support they provide."

The Church of St Mary the Virgin, on Hebden Bridge Road in Oxenhope, has been taken off the at-risk list after work to grout and re-point its decaying West Tower was completed in July.

Also off the register is the Grade II-listed Dalton Mills in Keighley, with its new owners said to making "great progress" towards bringing the three mills, built between 1866 and 1877, back into use.

Historic England gave a grant to use a drone to get up close to the roof of the buildings and investigate issues affecting the water tower on the site, helping to understand why the tower's masonry was failing.

Tower Mill is now said to be in good repair and nearly fully let as offices, Genappe Mill is currently being repaired with a waiting list of potential occupiers, with work on restoring New Mill yet to begin.

Tammy Whitaker, heritage at risk principal at Historic England, said: "This year we are celebrating an amazing achievement in Yorkshire.

"Over the last five years, 43 per cent of Yorkshire’s heritage sites at risk on our register in 2010 have been rescued, beating our 25 per cent target.

"We are committed to working with everyone who is passionate about and values our heritage across Yorkshire.

"The very things that make our region special, are the things most at risk. If they’re lost, then a sense of that region is lost too.

"Together we can safeguard our most precious places and buildings for future generations."

Sites on the fringes of the Bradford district added to this year's list include the Church of St John on Coley Road in Brighouse, included due to the poor condition of the roof of its tower, and the Church of St Peter in Rawdon, set to receive grant aid to prevent further water damage to the building.