A TREE-lined North Yorkshire view, so stunning that it was recorded for a Russian empress, has been revealed for the first time in years

The view of Masham Parish Church from Limehouse Hill, at Hackfall Woods, Grewel-thorpe, near Ripon, was blocked out when a plantation of Corsican pines matured.

Now Norman Hutchinson, head forester at adjoining Swinton estate, has reopened the long-lost vista by careful pruning.

His efforts have been praised by James Ramsden, chairman of the Hackfall Trust, which is spearheading restoration of the woodland.

Mr Ramsden said: "I never expected to see and enjoy this sight in my lifetime. For years it has been blocked by the well-grown Corsican pines."

Now owned by the Woodland Trust, Hackfall with its follies and woodland walks was created in 1760 for William Aislabie. He inherited the land, along with Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, from his father John who created the stunning water gardens at Studley Royal estate next to the abbey.

Mr Ramsden believes the original earthwork at Hackfall and the Masham spire spectacle it revealed must have caused quite a stir at the time.

"Something like the Angel of the North or the London Eye, because it got a mention from all the early visitors. It was painted, most notably, on a plate made by Wedgwood in the late 18th Century for the Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great," he recalled.

The gradual restoration of Hackfall, which in its heyday attracted visitors from across the UK, was given another boost when it cleared the first hurdle for a Heritage Lottery Fund development grant.

This would cover a ten-year maintenance and management plan, an education programme, as well as restoration and landscaping works.