FARMER John Wilkinson was puzzled when he washed decades of grime from a stone plaque and was able to read a glowing tribute - to a horse.

He knew only a wealthy person would be able to pay for the memorial at Westside Farm, Staindrop, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, but was unable to discover who it was.

Carved into the stone are the words: "To the memory of Captain, a famous, docile, willing & gentle horse, bred on Westside Farm & died there 1885 at the age of 32 years."

Mr Wilkinson said: "I've never before heard of such a tribute to any horse, so Captain must have been really special."

But after inquiries by The Northern Echo, the mystery seems to have been solved. It emerged that Captain was probably the steed on which agents rode round Teesdale to visit farms owned by Raby Estates.

Records reveal that, from the 1860s, the tenant of Westfield Farm was Thomas Freshfield Scarth, chief agent to the Duke of Cleveland of Raby Castle. He was assisted by his son, William Thomas Scarth, who succeeded him after his death in 1872.

A Raby Estates official said: "The agents in those days travelled round Teesdale on horseback to visit all the Raby farms, so it seems likely that Captain was used for this duty.

"That would explain why such a fine memorial was put up."

TF Scarth lived at Keverstone Hall near Staindrop but ran Westside Farm with the help of a manager and staff. He was highly popular in the area, and when he died, the Scarth Hall in Staindrop was built at a cost of £1,400 as a memorial to him.

WT Scarth, who lived at Staindrop House in Staindrop, kept up the tenancy of Westside Farm after he took over as the duke's chief agent. It is felt he probably arranged and paid for the plaque to Captain.

His liking for such tributes is shown on a gravestone in Staindrop churchyard for Thomas Jackson, who is described as "Farm bailiff to WT Scarth - a trusty servant and kind neighbour".

John Wilkinson took over the 350-acre farm in 2001 from his father Gordon, who took over from his father Jack in 1954. Jack had been there since 1929.