|PIC2|The church in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare was baptised and buried is hoping to stave off closure by gathering at least £2.5 million to carry out extensive repairs.

Thousands of pounds have already been pumped into repairs to the tower and crumbling stonework around the church, which has been in existence since 1210.

The most urgent repair work needs to be carried out on twelve 15th century clerestory windows. Restoration of the stone frames holding the window glass in place is estimated at £400,000, while other funds have been earmarked for repairs on the north chancel roof and the pointing of external stonework.

The church’s vicar, the Rev Martin Gorick, said that if the windows were not repaired in the next five years, a “worst case scenario” would be the closure of the church, according to the BBC.

"If we don't attend to the windows, you are probably only five years off from having to close the church, from a safety point of view,” Rev Gorick was quoted as saying.

He added, however, "We are determined that won't be the case."

In addition to restoring the stone frames, the church also plans to remove the glass panes and have them cleaned and re-leaded.

Shakespeare was baptised in the church in April 1564 and buried there in 1616 at the age of 52. Thousands of the playwright’s fans flock to Holy Trinity each year to see his ‘cursed’ tomb in the chancel.

The church receives little in the way of funding from public bodies and relies heavily on fundraising to cover its costs.

Friends of Shakespeare’s Church is appealing to members of the public to help meet the costs of the restoration work by sponsoring a window at www.shakespeareschurch.org/sponsor-a-window.htm