ONE of the region's most famous battle sites featured at the weekend to commemorate the Great War.

Keen historians donned old military costumes at an open day at the Heugh gun battery, on the Headland, in Hartlepool, on Saturday.

The public were able to see where gunners from the Durham Royal Garrison Artillery fired against the German fleet during the First World War.

The guns have recently been returned to the restored battery. Visitors have a chance to see them for themselves every weekend.

On Saturday, members of the Heugh Battery Memorial Society dressed in uniforms belonging to the gunners and members of the Durham Light Infantry to help recreate the battle scenes.

Society member Gary Kester said: "Several times each summer we open the battery up to the public like this with open days, so on Saturday we had an entire squad of soldiers to show people around, which makes it more interesting.

"It was a great day. It was nice because we tried to hold one earlier and it was rained off.

"The weather was great this time, and we finished with a barbecue at the end of the day, which was nice.

"It's just good to be able to show people where that great battle took place."

For information about the battery and open times, go to www.heughbattery.org.uk