A folk concert is taking place in Teignmouth later this month is aiming to raise much needed funds to repair the distinctive St James’ Church Lantern.

Organised by Teignmouth Folk Festival secretary Amanda Wheaton, the concert on July 20 will feature more than 11 local folk acts including Celtic Dawn, John White, The Jays, Julia Howe and The Renaissance Recorders.

The octagonal nave at St James’ Church, with its extraordinary eight-windowed roof light, was built in 1821. However, in recent years it has been letting rain into the church, which, in some parts, dates back to Medieval times. Despite many repairs and a lot of filler, a recent inspection recommended a full renovation, which is likely to cost £400,00 with an additional £400,000 needed to repair the roof and fabric of the building that has been damaged by the wet coming in.

The work is likely to take 10 months to complete with each of the eight sections needing to be removed and taken off-site for restoration.

‘Hopefully this (concert) can generate some interest and generosity from people who also feel passionate about keeping this building in good condition for the future,’ Amanda said.

The concert will be opened by Teignmouth Mayor Councillor Cate Williams at 2pm for a 2:30pm start. Tickets are a £5 minimum donation and are available on the door, cash only, or by emailing [email protected] Refreshments will be available.

St James’ was used as a venue for the recent Teignmouth Folk Festival.