Local enthusiasts are joining forces to make a spectacular job of replacing a large window which has worn out in their village hall.

They are planning to create their own stained glass one and insert it in the the old stone-built hall at Barningham near Barnard Castle, County Durham.

They are to attend two five-hour workshops at which expert Joanna Hedley from Newcastle will demonstrate how to make stained glass and piece it together in a window.

The ambitious venture, costing more than £5,000, has been awarded a grant from the National Lottery and another from County Durham's small projects fund. Part of the cost is being raised locally.

Joyce Brown, a member of the village hall committee who is masterminding the scheme, said yesterday: "When we realised the window frame was rotting and had to be replaced we felt it was a chance to do something really special.

"We expect about 20 people to attend the workshops and play a part in creating the new window. It will be designed to show the village, some of its residents and the road up to the nearby moors.

"We think the stained glass window will be a popular feature on the hall and will be enjoyed by many people for generations to come."

Ms Hedley will run the workshops in the hall, which is a listed building, on two Saturdays, January 20 and 27. Another expert will fit lead onto the glass before the window is installed, probably in March.

Two other workshops run by Ms Hedley will be run in the village later in the year so that local people can make smaller stained glass windows to fit into their own homes.

The new village hall window still needs to receive planning approval from Teesdale District Council. But Trevor Watson, principal planning officer, said: "I can see no problem with this as the window will obviously enhance the listed building."