AN 18-month arts project has united generations of village residents by teaching young people about their mining heritage.

The Creative Coundon initiative, which was based at St Joseph's RC Primary School, ended on a musical note yesterday when pupils released a CD of the Coundon song Cuna Dun, written by musician Jez Lowe.

He is one of several artists to contribute to the project, including the late Tom McGuinness, who designed a stained glass window.

This was painted by Darlington artist Duncan Storr and made at the North Grange glassworks, in Newcastle.

Children were involved at every stage and the window has been given pride of place in the school's entrance hall.

Blacksmith and artist Graeme Hopper, from Helmington Row, was helped by history groups and the school to design and make a security fence decorated with mining images.

Simon Pell led banner making and theatre artists Jack Drum held drama workshops and helped with a book called from Cuna Dun to Coundon.

Children collected photographs for a history exhibition and talked to former evacuees for a record of wartime memories.

St Joseph's headteacher Stefa McManners said the project had ensured that memories of Coundon's mining legacy were preserved.

The village pit is recorded as the first to be given permission to extract coal, but many residents had never seen a working mine until they went on trips to Beamish Museum and the National Mining Museum, in Wakefield.

Mrs McManners said: "It has been excellent. It has gone right across the board.

"One of the good things is that it stimulated talking between the generations and encouraged people to feel real pride in their heritage."

The project was supported by Heritage Lottery, Wear Valley District Council, the Forge Arts in Education Agency and Age Concern Durham County.

The CD is £4 from the school.