The project received a £20,000 grant from waste recycling and environmental charity WREN, with the remainder coming from smaller grants, donations and two years of fund-raising by the Friends of Snaith Priory committee.

Friends group secretary Enid Roberts said: "We've had donations from local companies and quite a number from bigger companies. We've also had a range of grants that have all gradually added up."

She added the work was being carried out by Snaith firm Peveril Builders, and the new kitchen, toilet and storeroom should be open by Easter.

Enid, who's married to Canon Cyril Roberts, said churchgoers had previously struggled with basic facilities.

She added: "We've had to carry buckets of water to fill boilers to make cups of tea, and the only toilet is an outdoor one in the churchyard, which isn't very nice for people who've travelled to the priory for something like a funeral.

"We're continuing our fundraising and gradually making improvements to make the floor more level and to make the priory more accessible for the disabled."

Fund-raising had been hampered by the theft of lead from the roof and downpipes, as revealed in the Selby Times last year. This needed replacing and also put the cost of insurance up.