A wooden church transported to Baildon in pieces at the beginning of the century could face closure because of rising maintenance costs.

St James's Church has stood in the village for 94 years after being consecrated in Essex and later transported by steam traction engine in 1904 as a gift to the people of Baildon.

But rising running costs means that one of the county's last surviving wooden churches could face closure if additional funding to maintain the building can't be found.

Richard Nicholas, a churchwarden at St John's, Baildon, the sister church of St James's, said he couldn't comment on whether the church was to close or not but said that, after a recent financial review, church leaders were looking at every option.

He said: "The problem we've got at the moment is our costs.

"The church is expensive to run because it's wooden and needs repainting and we have to look into every option so that we can secure a legacy for the people of Baildon.''

The church is used as a community centre by Scouts, Guides and Cubs and by mother and toddler groups.

It was bequeathed to the people of Baildon in 1904 on the death of the Rev Hammond Robertson Bailey of Essex, whose parents owned land in the Baildon area, and who donated it to the village after hearing there was a need for another place of worship.a

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