A PROJECT to restore gravestones in Kirkbymoorside was showcased at a special exhibition in the town.

Kirkbymoorside History Group has been working with local primary school children on the lottery-funded scheme to learn more about All Saints Church within the community.

The work from the project was put on display as part of a two-day exhibition in the town's Moorside Room.

Louise Mudd, from the history group, was it had been a great success.

"A lot of local people came along and we also had relatives and descendants who travelled from as far afield as the West Riding to see what we had done," she added.

"They were thrilled with the restoration work that had been done."

Louise said the project has started when one of the table tombs had been in danger of collapsing.

"We secured funding by introducing a learning element and working with the history group at Kirkbymoorside Primary School, " she added.

"The children did stone and brass rubbings, transcribed wording and visited the bell tower as well."

Louise said the aim was to show how the church linked with the local community.

"We had to explain how different things were in Victorian times as many of the graves also had the names of children who died in infancy,"she added.

"They found it really interested and thoroughly enjoyed themselves."

Louise said 18 gravestones had been restored and they hoped to do more in the future.

"We are thinking of looking for volunteers to get involved and move on to a different part of the churchyard," she added.

"It has been really successful and we have had a lot of positive comments and our aim is to also work with the school history group on another project."