THE last remaining choir pit in the country at Whalley Abbey – which has been closed for more than a decade – could be given a new lease of life.

The 13th-century Peter of Chester Chapel and Abbey Church choir pits have been closed due to falling masonry and have fallen into disrepair.

Now the site could get a complete facelift with a £50,000 lottery grant.

Councillor Joyce Holgate, said: “Whalley Abbey is one of Lancashire’s prime heritage assets and forms an important part of the borough’s historic environment."

The Diocese of Blackburn, which owns the abbey, is planning to target funding for the restoration.

Coun Holgate said: “Without renovation, these sites will be lost forever and the council is delighted to support the Diocese of Blackburn in its lottery bid.”

The Cistercian Abbey of Stanlow moved to Whalley from Cheshire in 1296.

After the dissolution of the monastery in 1537, the property passed into private hands and was converted into an Elizabethan manor house.

It remained a private residence until 1923, when the Church of England acquired possession.

The Whalley Abbey Retreat House and Conference Centre, together with the abbey ruins, are now owned by the Diocese of Blackburn, which extensively modernised the site in 2005.

A decision on whether the abbey’s Lottery bid has been a success is expected shortly.