Published by William Caxton in 1487, the book is the only copy of the earliest known edition of the Missal according to the Use of Sarum – the most popular version of the Mass in use in pre-Reformation England.

It will be displayed in the historic library at the National Trust property in Disley from spring 2009, and a digital copy will be created with an interactive page-turning facility.

"In the meantime, we shall be working with outside experts to learn more about this unique survival, and to understand how it fits into Lyme's long history," commented Property Manager David Morgan.

"The Caxton Missal will form a new and key element in the future interpretation and presentation of Lyme to visitors."

The first book printed in Paris using two colours, and the first to bear Caxton's famous printer's device, the Missal has been in the north west of England since at least 1508 – and was at Lyme Park until 1946 in the ownership of the Legh family.

The National Trust has bought the book from the family for £465,000, with funding support of £316,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £100,000 from The Art Fund, and the remaining amount from The Foyle Foundation, The Pilgrim Trust, The Friends of the National Libraries, The Robert Gavron Charitable Trust, The Royal Oak Foundation, The Peak District National Trust Association and private individuals.

Mark Purcell, the National Trust's Libraries Curator, said: "The acquisition of the Sarum Missal is hugely exciting and presents us with a wonderful opportunity to share this intriguing and historic book. It is one of only two Caxtons in the world which has remained in the ownership of a single family for 500 years."

Sara Hilton, Heritage Lottery Fund Manager for the North West, added: "It's marvellous to see this truly unique book return home.

"Its pages capture the religious, social and political history of the region, and its display at Lyme, where it was kept for hundreds of years, will offer visitors an intriguing window into the past, using the latest technology."