SUSAN STEPHENSON visits a village where links with the past are ever-present.

THE delightful village of Brompton-by-Sawdon may be small but it certainly has its fair share of claims to fame.

It lies in the valley of the River Derwent just off the A170 between Scarborough and Pickering, and has about 500 residents.

Known as the birthplace of aeronautics, Brompton was home to Sir George Cayley (1773-1857), the man who designed and built the forerunners of the modern aeroplane.

Sir George lived and worked at Brompton Hall, which is now a school that caters for boys with special educational needs.

In fact, the village has been associated with the Cayleys for almost 500 years - memorials can be seen in All Saints' churchyard dating back to the late 1500s, when the lord of the manor was a Cayley.

Members of the Cayley family remain as residents in the village to this day, including Sir George's great -great-great-granddaughter Belinda Evans, who regularly hosts community and charity events with her husband Mark.

Another perhaps lesser-known fact is that Brompton has links to the Romantic poet William Wordsworth.

He married local farmer's daughter Mary Hutchinson at All Saints 'Church on October 4, 1802.

There certainly would not have been many golden daffodils around at that time of year, but the setting is incredibly picturesque.

More recent accomplishments have been centred on the local butcher, BW and DJ Glaves of Cayley Lane.

The family business has just walked away with a host of awards from the British Pig Executive's regional championships held at Askham Bryan College.

Brian Glaves has run the family company since 1972 with his wife Doreen. There has been a butcher's shop on the site since 1916.

"The village is very much a true, rural village. Since 1954 there have only been 28 houses built, " said Mr Glaves.

He added that the parish council was currently looking at sites the help local first-time buyers, to encourage young people to stay in the village.

He said: "If you don't have a younger generation, your community is not going to survive."

There certainly seems to be plenty going on to keep the locals busy, including two cricket teams, pub darts, a gardening club and historical society.

And in summer, Brompton is alive with holidaymakers who come to soak up the best the village has to offer. In fact Brompton-by-Sawdon plays host to visitors from all over the country.

Mr Glaves said: "In summertime we get an awful lot of visitors from all over England - Essex, Cornwall, Surrey."

Recent months have seen a familiar face reappear in the village. The Greenwell family has been running the village pub, The Cayley Arms, for just over a year, and Lindsay Greenwell grew up in the village.

Her husband Colin Greenwell was new to the pub trade, having previously worked for 12 years at Ellis Patents factory in Rillington, which specialises in plastics and packaging.

However, his wife Lindsay was able to show him the ropes as she had worked at the pub as a youngster. It was her first job at the age of 13.

She said: "It's brilliant to be back.

It's nice to see all the people I grew up with when I was younger."

Lindsay is following in the footsteps of her mum, Annie Potter, who runs The Providence Inn in Yedingham with her husband Steve.

Colin admits that running a pub along with bringing up two young children - Sadie Anne, two, and Ellie Mai, one, - is not an easy task.

He said: "It's a totally different way of life. It's not just a job, it's more of a lifestyle. It's hard work with two kids, but well worth it."

Like their mum before them, the girls will be attending Brompton-by-Sawdon Community Primary School, which has about 40 pupils.