Skipton's ancient Holy Trinity Church which has stood at the top of the High Street for hundreds of years has made it to the final of a search to find the best church in the country.

Organisers of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group's 2003 competition have whittled them down to the top 12 - including Skipton parish church.

The contest was open to all of Britain's churches and entrants were asked to give 10 reasons why people should come and visit them and the surrounding area.

They were to include special features that made the church and its services unique, ways in which the church generated positive interest, how it encouraged visitors, future plans and any interesting local attractions.

Holy Trinity impressed the competition judges because it has made itself a part of Skipton life and attracted about 80,000 visitors a year.

They said it played an active part in the local tourist consortium and earned popularity by providing green space in the town centre for locals and visitors to relax during the summer months.

They liked the fact that church tour leaflets were available in several languages, and its refectory and tea-rooms were well patronised. They were equally impressed by Holy Trinity's live Advent broadcast which was featured on BBC television.

As one of the churches on the final shortlist, Holy Trinity stands a chance of winning a first prize of £1,000, a second prize of £500 or a third prize worth £200. The winners will be announced in November.

In addition the church will be featured in Ecclesiastical's 2004 calendar.

Churchwarden Don Howard said: "We're absolutely delighted. We have visitors from all over the world. We recently had a visitor from Baghdad who made some very impressive remarks in the visitor book.

"The church was even featured as part of a GCSE history project because of its links with Lady Anne Clifford, who restored Skipton Castle in the 17th century."

The first Holy Trinity Church was built in the early 1100s. Another church was built about 1300 with help from the monks at Bolton Priory and was extended towards the end of the 1400s.

The tower was damaged during the Civil War and has twice been struck by lightning.

Recent work has included the development of the Lady Chapel and the extension of the Vestry Rooms in 1979 and the establishment of a Chapel of Quiet in the north-east corner of the church.