ENGLISH Heritage has donated £262,000 to stop Cranford author Elizabeth Gaskell’s former home from rotting.

The money is being used for repairs and to stop dry rot eating through the Grade II* listed building.

Joan Leach, Gaskell Society founder and Knutsford historian, said the grant would help stop the house’s decay.

“Several times rain has got in and damaged the walls,” she said.

“The longer you leave it, the more it would have deteriorated.”

Hundreds of people visited Plymouth Grove after BBC One drama Cranford attracted almost eight million viewers for each episode.

The show was an adaptation of three of Mrs Gaskell's novels, including Cranford, a thinly-veiled account of her time in Knutsford.

Mrs Gaskell lived at Plymouth Grove for 15 years, and entertained Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte and John Ruskin there.

She wrote all her books – with the exception of Mary Barton – at the seven-bedroomed house in Manchester.

But now the Regency-style villa needs major structural repairs.

It closed earlier this year for the work on the roof, windows and walls to start.

Experts are also going to eradicate the dry rot.

The project will weatherproof the house.

“It is vitally important that this building is saved from dereliction so it can help to tell the story of Manchester and the industrial north,” said Henry Owen-John, north west planning and development director at English Heritage.

About three years ago, the house’s owners, the Manchester Historic Buildings Trust, began raising £2.3million for restoration work.

At first the property was opened to the public on the first Sunday of each summer month.

But after Cranford was screened, the house also had to be opened during winter because there were so many inquiries.

About eight million people regularly watched the costume drama, which starred Dame Judi Dench.

Last week, Mrs Leach, of Chester Road, Tabley, said the appreciation of Mrs Gaskell’s work had been steadily growing.

“We’re very pleased she’s getting worldwide recognition,” she said.

Dame Judi Dench is now a patron of the Manchester Historic Buildings Trust.

Last week, in a statement released by English Heritage, the Oscar-winning actress welcomed the grant.

“This is a major historical building, and it will be wonderful to see it restored to its former glory,” she said.

Two new episodes of Cranford are due to be screened this Christmas, but no dates have been released yet.

Mrs Gaskell is buried at the Brook Street Unitarian Chapel, and her other former home still stands in Gaskell Avenue, Knutsford.