A UNIQUE work of art is to go under the hammer to raise money for a poor community in Africa.

Retired architect Harold Dick has researched the history of the Royal Navy's ships from 1210-1900, drawing 16 superbly-drafted charts, each a work of art in its own right.

Mr Dick, who lives at Richmond, has meticulously drawn each type of ship. From The Falcon, owned by the Earl of Dover at the beginning of the thirteenth century, each has been named by Mr Dick, together with its owner, captain, number of constables and men.

The charts also show the date of each ship's launch, activities in which it was involved and whether it was lost, captured, sold or broken up for salvage.

Joyce Jackson, to whom Mr Dick has given the first chart - 1210-1461 The Medieval Period - of the first print edition, said: "It is a fascinating and detailed history of England through the centuries, as seen through the development of the Royal Navy."

Mrs Jackson, who lives at Middleton in Teesdale, will auction the chart in aid of the Kilimatinde Hospital in Tanzania, a project close to her heart and for which she is constantly fundraising.

It will be on display at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle on Friday and Saturday, November 26-27, before the auction at 4pm on the 27. Both the display and the auction will be in the Caf Bowes, to which entry is free.

"I'm honoured to have such an important and magnificent document to auction," said Mrs Jackson. "Whoever gets it will have not only an investment but also an heirloom to keep in the family."

The chart is among several pieces of work given for the auction by local artists. More information about it can be obtained from www.royalnavyhistory.co.uk.