Custodians of Sir Titus Salt’s church in Saltaire will press ahead with the conservation of its famous benefactor’s mausoleum after receiving a slice of £1.1 million.

Saltaire United Reformed Church in Victoria Road, is one of seven grade I and II-listed places of worship across West Yorkshire awarded a grant by English Heritage announced today.

It has received £146,000 which will be used to conserve a statue of Sir Titus and another of The Angel Gabriel, in the historic building’s mausoleum.

Damage caused by vandals and lead thieves to the roof of the mausoleum and windows in the 1858 church will also be repaired under a major phase of its overall restoration.

Len Morris, a trustee of Saltaire URC, said: “There was already damp damage and thieves took the lead away before last November’s heavy rain, so the mausoleum is pretty badly in need and this will help with restoring it.

“We have the oldest statue of Sir Titus and the Angel Gabriel, which has a broken trumpet. Hopefully, we will be able to get them looking like they once did.”

The grant will pay towards the second phase of a restoration, expected to cost £250,000 in total. That is on top of £220,000 already secured by trustees to restore the canopy and the front steps of the 150-year-old Italianate church.

English Heritage’s latest grant has been awarded under the joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme, which since 2002 has invested £16 million in preserving the fabric of some of the region’s most historic religious buildings.

The work will help hard-pressed parishioners secure the future of cherished buildings.

Others in the district to benefit include St Clement’s Church, Barkerend, which has received £201,000, and All Saints in Little Horton, which has received £111,000.

Trevor Mitchell, of English Heritage, said: “These grants aim to support urgent repairs, nipping problems in the bud like leaking roofs which, if left unchecked, would allow dampness to spread, decaying wonderful interiors and requiring far more costly remedies in the future.

“Maintaining our historic places of worship is a massive challenge, but the support we have pledged today with the Heritage Lottery Fund is a token of our on-going commitment to local communities and congregations.”

Anyone who wishes to contribute to Saltaire URC’s restoration fund should contact Mr Morris on (01274) 597894.