AN ARMOURED carriage that started life as a Hollywood movie prop and has spent the last seven years outside a Yorkshire Dales cafe is to be lovingly restored before it finds a new home.

The war coach was created for Oscar-winning film Gladiator in 2000, which starred Russell Crowe as Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, and was directed by South Shields' Ridley Scott, .

The chariot was bought in an auction after the film was completed and, looking for a place to house it, the new owner contacted David and Anne Kiely who used to own a carriage museum in Aysgarth, Wensleydale.

The wooden chariot, which is 20ft long and 10ft high, has stood outside Mr and Mrs Kiely’s current business, the Falls Cafe Bar, near the picturesque Aysgarth Falls ever since.

Mrs Kiely said: “The plan was to house it inside Yore Mill in Aysgarth, but I didn’t take the size of its wheels into account and it wouldn’t fit – but with keeping it outside it has suffered from weather erosion."

Howard Charlesworth, operations manager from commercial vehicle builders Paneltex, said he saw the chariot while visiting Aysgarth Falls with his family and thought it would be an ideal restoration project for his apprentices, who will be overseen by specialist vehicle fitters.

Purpose-built for the film, the 5.5 tonne war coach was pulled by six black horses in the Hollywood blockbuster, and Mrs Kiely said she was sure it would create a spectacle in the village when it is loaded to be transported to Hull where it will undergo complete restoration.

Mr Charlesworth will conduct and oversee the restoration and hopes to bring it back to its original film set condition.

He said: “It is a very exciting project and we can’t wait to get started.

“We propose to collect it next week and will be sending a low loader which will carry eight tonnes. It is coming to our manufacturing workshops in Hull to be restored.

"It was just such a shame to see it rotting away so we are very pleased to be able to bring it back to life."

Mr Charlesworth is willing to keep interested parties updated on the progress of the project and is open for suggestions for exhibiting the finished war coach.

The carriage museum Aysgarth closed in 2003 because of dwindling visitor numbers and new legislation on disabled access.

The carriage collection, which belonged to the family of the late George Shaw, of Richmond, was later sold.

Mrs Kiely added: “I’m glad that it is going to be restored and hopefully kept somewhere where people will be able to enjoy it.”

The chariot featured in an epic race in the film, which was nominated for 12 Oscars and won best picture, best sound, visual effects and costumes, as well as best actor for Crowe.