The future of a small moorland church has been secured after a £10,000 grant from the National Churches Trust.

St Catherine’s Church, Temple, was originally founded by the wealthy and mysterious medieval order of the Knights Templar as a hostel for pilgrims crossing Cornwall from Ireland on their way to Holy Land, but by the 1600s it had become a lawless place and known as the ‘Gretna Green of the South West’ because couples could get married there without a licence.

The £10,000 grant from the National Churches Trust, in addition to the £70,300 awarded last year by the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, will allow work to start on making the church watertight.

The work, which will begin in the spring, will start with stripping, repairing and re-roofing the nave, chancel and north transept before moving on to re-roof the tower and install a new drainage system.

Local people have rallied to save the church building by holding a series of community and fund-raising events.