A PLAYWRIGHT who restored a medieval manor house considered to be among England's best preserved has appealed for historic images of the property.

Onedin Line writer Ian Curteis said he was seeking photographs, postcards and illustrations of Markenfield Hall, as seen by its earliest visitors, for an exhibition.

Mr Curteis, who lives at the historic property near Ripon, said he hoped the images would show what life was like in the past at the 14th century moated building and how little it had changed.

He said: "We know that people have visited the hall for years - Wilfred Owen and Lewis Carroll being among the more familiar names - but it is the public visitors that are now casting light on the history of the hall.

"We always knew that people visited the hall when it was used as a farmhouse and as storage, as we have visitors recounting hair-raising trips up to the roof and wandering along the battlements, but we had no idea just how many."

He said "tantalising glimpses" of the past already given to them included a postcard of the Great Hall showing it laid out like a picture gallery of family portraits dating back to 1566.

Anyone with images can contact 01765 692303 or email info@markenfield.com