A famous church known as Noah's Ark has been judged one of the best in the UK.

St Bartholomew's Church in Ann Street, Brighton, won a place in the top 12 churches in the country for its special features, which make services unique.

Now its congregation is waiting to find out if St Bartholomew's will win the Best Church in the UK title in a competition entered by hundreds of other parishes.

The Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, which is running the contest, describes St Bartholomew's as a nationally famous Grade I-listed Victorian church with the tallest nave of any parish church in the UK.

It says the building is renowned for its art nouveau decorations by Henry Wilson and was described by Sir John Betjeman as the "cathedral of Anglo-Catholicism".

The 135ft-high church is known as Noah's Ark because it has a pitched roof and high window. Churchgoers say this is similar to the description of the ark in the Bible.

If St Bartholomew's wins the title, it will be a boost for the Church of England in Brighton and Hove, where several churches are threatened with closure because of falling congregations.

Its place on the shortlist means is it already guaranteed a feature in next year's ecclesiastical calender, which is displayed in churches and vicarages throughout the country.

The contest was judged by representatives of Church House and the insurance company, which insures churches throughout the UK.

Sarah Iles, competition co-ordinator, said: "The standard of entries was very high and it was a difficult task for the judging panel to decide the final list of 12 churches."

The top three churches win cash prizes and the winners will be announced at a reception at Windsor Castle on November 6. The winning church will collect £1,000.

Father Vickery House, of St Bartholomew's, said: "We are delighted and very excited to have got to the last 12. It is a great honour to have got this far.

"We are judged on how we welcome visitors, what we offer at the church and what there is for visitors to see in the area.

"As we have a very interesting church, take pride in welcoming visitors and are in the centre of city where there is a lot to see, we hope to do well."

Volunteers, who keep the church open to visitors every day, are already embarking on their next project to build two new toilets with disabled access in the church.

Permission for the scheme has already been granted but funding has yet to be secured.

The aim of the competition is to encourage more people to attend their local church.

Entrants were asked to give ten reasons why people should visit their church and the surrounding area.

They were also asked to state how the church encouraged and accommodated visitors and the features that made the church and its services special.

St Bartholomew's is open every day with guides to show people around.

It is frequently used as a concert venue and has become a hub of the local community. Its services are well publicised and its web site is updated weekly.

James Bowman, the famous counter tenor, will be giving a concert at the church tomorrow at 7.30pm, as part of a £125,000 restoration campaign.

For tickets, priced £10 and £8 concessions, call the Dome box office on 01273 709708.