All Saints church in Crostwight, near North Walsham, has been awarded a £42,340 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to begin the process of conserving the historic paintings inside.
With the initial funding, the church has commissioned preliminary surveys and had plans drawn up regarding the best way to protect them for future generations.
Peter Williams, churchwarden at Honing and Crostwight churches and project leader, said: “We are thrilled to have received this initial support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.”
“Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans to protect and conserve these remarkable survivals put here by our distant forebears.
“They can then continue to be enjoyed by all those who pass this way for many years to come.”
It is hoped that the church may be awarded a further £437,000 to enable the conservation work to take place on the 11 panels depicting the Passion of Christ.
It would also include essential repairs to areas including the chancel arch, plaster, and the installation of new drains to reduce the risk of damp.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s policy is that all grant applications over £250,000 are assessed in two rounds, with an initial development phase to lay the foundations.
The Grade I listed church dates back around 700 years and retains several nationally-significant medieval features such as wall paintings, rood screen and a bell.
The square tower was reduced in height in 1910 after becoming unstable.
It is one of two churches in the parish of Honing with Crostwight, and is still used for worship despite a lack of immediate community and connections to mains services.
