A WRITER, world-famous for his Horrible Histories, is helping traditional rural crafts to flourish in his home village.

Best-selling children's author Terry Deary is giving a community group access to his land in Burnhope, near Stanley, to run courses on the art of building dry stone walls.

The Burnhope Association for Rural Crafts is repairing a wall on Mr Deary's farm, under the watchful eyes of Des Consitt, a dry stone wall expert and tutor at East Durham and Houghall College, near Durham.

The scheme was made possible with help from Community Enterprise Direct, a charity set up to help community groups and new businesses to get off the ground.

Project officer Simon Clucas said: "Over the years since the mining stopped the village has become a bit dilapidated. This group was formed to improve the environment and they wanted to get everybody in the village involved.

"Terry Deary has kindly offered to let them work using an existing wall on his land as a learning tool."

Villagers are already planning further courses on willow-weaving and hedge laying.