THE World Championships of the ancient game of quoits comes to Beamish Museum next month.

Competitors will battle it out on specially-constructed pitches in the appropriate setting of the museum's colliery village.

Competition for the world title is expected to be fierce, with entries from the Northern Counties League in Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, and as far afield as southern Scotland.

More than 50 teams will compete for the pairs title on Saturday, July 8, while about 120 will bid for the singles championship the following day. Matches begin at 10am each day.