THE history of a former pit village has been depicted on a sculpture installed outside its recently-opened medical centre and library.

The two-metres tall plinth at Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, features nine granite sections that are engraved with images and words that capture aspects of the community’s heritage.

It was put up on a paved area outside the £4.5m Lavender Centre, which opened in 2013 on the prominent site in Pelton Lane that was home to the village’s infant and junior schools,

The artwork was created by the North-East sculptor Russ Coleman and was commissioned by Durham County Council following local consultation,.

The project was funded with money paid by developers to the council under Section 106 agreements made as a condition of planning permission granted for housing developments in the area.

The plinth was officially unveiled today (Friday, March 20) at a ceremony attended by North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones, the chairman of Durham County Council, Cllr John Robinson, and Cllr Neil Foster, the Labour-run council’s cabinet member for economic regeneration.

Cllr Foster said: “The sculpture is a wonderful way of celebrating the diverse history of Pelton and preserving it for generations to come.

“It provides a fascinating insight not just into the mining history of the village but the social life that made the local community so vibrant.”

Pelton Parish Council will take ownership of the sculpture and maintain it.